The Lightning Phantom
by Steampunk Wilson
Summary: After a routine check in on a mysterious location goes disastrously wrong, the seven ninja are thrown into a brand new battle with the past, romantic feelings and a mysterious masked villain. While Cole finds himself fascinated by the wondrous Seliel, Jay is stuck in the mysteries of his past and his parents, and makes a choice which could lead to the ninja's destruction.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone and welcome to my very first chapter of my very first fanfiction! I hope you enjoy and please respect the story and my feelings. Don't be judgy, constructive criticism only. Drive safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and don't leave the fridge open. Enjoy! :)**

At seven o'clock in the morning in Ninjago City, there weren't many people up who weren't hurrying to work in order to keep the kids fed, or had just been let out of the drunk tank. Yet, one figure fitted into neither of these categories. This figure was a young man with thick black hair, pale hazel eyes and a fixed stony expression. He wore a plain black hoodie and jeans. To an outsider, he may appear to be a normal man. But this man was far from normal. His name was Cole Brookestone, and he was the Master of Earth.

Cole wasn't tired this early in the morning, despite the fact he had been up all night, tossing and turning, thinking about today. He had left early as well, after giving a brief check in on each of his fellow ninja. Zane had been doing some early morning meditating, Harumi about to take one of her early morning baths which Cole knew from experience would take a while, Lloyd had been in the garage, still teaching himself the electric guitar. He had been so absorbed he hadn't even noticed when Cole stuck his head around the door and watched him for a moment. Jay and Nya had still been asleep, curled around each other in the bed they shared, sparking a small spark of jealousy in Cole's chest. Kai had been sleeping also, lying like a starfish on his front in only a pair of boxers, his blanket just covering his ankles. The only reason Cole hadn't taken a picture was that he wasn't in a joking mood. Not today.

The street Cole hurried down was a familiar one, it belonged to the district he had grown up in. But he wasn't paying a friendly visit home. He was going to the less friendly place at the end of the street. The cemetery.

The grave was still smooth and neat, Cole had kept it this way. At the bottom, a small rose sat in an empty jam jar. Cole allowed himself a slight smile. Dad, he thought. He looked at the grave itself. The words engraved upon it. _Ruth Brookestone. Loving Wife, Caring Mother. Sorely Missed._ Cole looked at down at his mother's grave cleared his throat.

"Hey mum." He said. "It's me, Cole. Your son." He instantly cursed himself. Of course his mother knew who Cole was.

"Erm, Happy Birthday." Cole said, shuffling from one foot to another, like he did every year. "Things are going well up at headquarters." He continued. "We haven't found Master Wu yet, but we'll never stop looking because ninja never quit." He allowed himself a tiny smile, the sort Jay had on his face when he wasn't in the best of moods but was trying not to show it.

"You know Princess Harumi, right?" He asked. "We she lives with us now, and Lloyd has a thing for her. We can all tell." That was good, Cole thought. Tell her all the gossip, like this was a normal conversation. "He's trying to teach himself guitar, but frankly, he's not very good."

Cole gave a sigh as a mood descended on him, blacker than his kimono. "I can't say I don't miss you." He sighed, kneeling down and placing a hand on the gravestone. "I wish I could see you every time I came home to visit dad. You'd be sat at the kitchen table, brewing one of your famous stews, smiling... just..." Tears poured out of Cole's pale hazel eyes as his words gave way to sobs. He gripped the gravestone so tightly he feared cracking it, but he couldn't control his shoulders shaking as more tears poured out of his eyes. He didn't want to think about it, but he couldn't stop himself, it was coming back to him...

 _"Daddy sound's good, doesn't he?" His mother asked as she and her nine-year old son watched his father's concert from the other side of the road they were about to cross. Cole was too short to see his father properly, but he could hear him._

 _"He wants me to be a performer, just like him." Cole told his mother. She turned and knelt down in front of him._

 _"Well then Coley, what do you want to be?" She asked, looking deep into his eyes._

 _"I don't think I'm very good at singing." His mother laughed._

 _"Of course not! You've inherited my singing voice." She muttered something Cole couldn't quite catch, which sounded like: 'that's not the only thing you've inherited'._

 _"I want to be a good person." Cole told her._

 _"You mean, like in the stories?" Cole gave a small nod._

 _"Yeah, I want to be a hero." His mother smiled. It was a beautiful smile, and her pale hazel eyes shone out of it like sunbeams._

 _"Well then, you be a hero." She said. "And you can make me proud." She stood up and took her son's hand, as they stepped out onto the road._

Cole didn't want to remember the rest. The roar of an engine, her gasp, the screech of breaks, and the last time she ever touched him, shoving him roughly to the pavement. Cole took several deep breaths, trying to contain his tears. He wiped his eyes. Slowly, he stood up. "I'm going to make you proud, mum." He told her, and, with a whispered goodbye, turned to leave.

Only then did Cole realise he was not alone in the cemetery. He blushed at the thought of a stranger seeing him cry, and wiped his face as much as he could. The other person didn't seen to have noticed him, thank goodness, but Cole frowned in curiosity as he observed them. They wore a baggy grey hoodie so he couldn't see their hair or body shape, and from this angle, he couldn't see their face either. They carried a large bunch of roses and appeared to be placing one in front of every grave. Cole felt disappointed that the rose hadn't been from his father, but that begged the question, who had it been from?

"Err, excuse me?" Cole called over, making the figure jump so they dropped the roses. "Oh, I'm sorry." He hurried over and helped to gather the flowers up.

"Thanks." The figure said as they drew down their hood. Cole gave a small gasp. The figure was a girl, about his own age, with dark green eyes and thick, wavy hair, dyed violette with a blue streak down the right side. She smiled at Cole.

"Thank you." She said. "I like to come here some days, and give everyone a rose. Everyone deserves a rose, don't you think?"

"Err, yeah." Cole said. "I saw you put one on my mother, thanks."

"No problem." The girl told him. "I'm Seliel."

"Cole." He told her. Seliel smiled again. It was a beautiful smile, reminded Cole of his mother's. Full of kindness in the exact same way.

"Do you want to help me place the rest?" Seliel asked.

"Yeah, I-" Cole absentmindedly looked at his watch. "Crap, I have to get back!"

"That's fine." Seliel told him. "Can I see you here again?"

"No, not here, I only come here once a year." Cole said. "But there's a great little coffee shop down the road, I could meet you there Saturday, I mean" He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's OK if you don't want to."

"No, I want to. Sounds great." Seliel said, and went back to placing the roses on the gravestones. Cole turned to leave, smiling a great smile to say he had been in tears two minutes ago. As he reached the gates, he stopped and turned back. His mother's grave was just visible. Cole thought of his jealousy of the others, Jay and Nya's happiness, Kai's frequent dates with Skylor, Zane's constant phone calls to Cyrus Borg to check on PIXAL's body manufacturing project, Lloyd's attempts to impress Harumi. He thought of his mother, watching him from above and, like an angel, sending him a chance for all that.

"Thanks mum." Cole whispered, as he left the cemetary.


	2. Burnt Toast and other Breakfast Dangers

**Bit of a quick update, but I got bored (sad life, I know). Honorary shoutout to rbrill345, the first to post a review! From now on, the first review poster of the last chapter gets a shoutout like this one, so stay tuned! Drive safe, hang your coat up, tuck your kids into bed and don't try this at home. Enjoy:)**

Just as eight o'clock dawned over the floating Temple of Airjitzu, the little toaster pushed out the blackened bread, and was immediately zapped by thirty volts of pure electricity. "For shit's sake, this thing hates me!"

Nya laughed as she watched her boyfriend pull his burnt breakfast out of the now smoking machine. It had been zapped so many times, it was a fair bet it ran on Jay's electricity. "Calm down, the poor toaster's doing the best it can." She said, standing up from the kitchen table and going over to Jay, who was still staring at the toast. "And there's always bacon."

Jay grinned at the mention of bacon, his grin lighting up his boyish face, carving what was once anger into joy. Nya loved that about Jay. His mood could change from down to happy in a moment. Unfortunately, it was just as quick the other way round.

"We can get Cole to whip up one of his famous bacon sandwiches." Nya said. "The only thing he can actually cook!"

Jay laughed, and he drew his face closer to Nya's; she leaned in to kiss him...

CRASH! "Argh, SHIT!"

Jay and Nya stuck their heads round the kitchen door to see Kai lying in his underwear at the bottom of the stairs which he had obviously fallen down. He still looked half asleep.

"Jeez Kai, put some clothes on!" Nya exclaimed, though she was grinning at the sight of her brother. Kai opened one brown eye and seemed to notice for the first time his state of clothing. He gave an attempt to get up, and failed.

"This is not what I want to see first thing in the morning!" Came a voice from the top of the stairs. The three looked up to see Harumi, wearing her silk dressing gown, and frowning down at Kai.

"I'm hungry!" Kai whined.

"No slippers, no shirt, no service!" Jay grinned as he looked down at the master of fire, snapping a picture on his phone.

"But-"

"Kitchen is closed." Kai gave a groan and rose to his feet, starting up the stairs again.

"Morning Harumi!" Nya said cheerfully as Harumi came downstairs and into the kitchen. She gave Nya a friendly nod. Nya nodded back, unknowing how to act around the princess. She had liked Harumi when she had first met her, but now the girls lived together, they were expected to be friends, which was something Nya was unsure of. Harumi was nice enough, but there seemed to be a wall between them, limiting their interactions.

"Forgive me," Harumi continued, looking at Jay's burnt toast. "But is this meant to be someone's breakfast?"

"Meant to be, yes." Jay said, embarrassed. "But if the toaster refuses to cooperate, you get that instead." He gestured to the toast.

"It'll make good dragon food." Nya said quickly. "If our elemental dragons... well... ate."

The awkward silence was broken as Zane entered the kitchen, a now dressed Kai at his side.

"Good morning everyone." Zane said politely, and then frowned. "What is that?" He asked, pointing at the toast. Jay put his head in his hands.

"What's cooking?" Kai asked, looking around. "Where's Cole? He makes the best bacon sandwiches!"

"I'll find him, and Lloyd." Nya said, beginning to rise from her chair, but the green ninja himself entered the kitchen, running his hands through his floppy blonde hair.

"I could eat a horse!" He exclaimed, before laying eyes on Harumi and instantly wishing he had made smoother entrance. "Oh, hi everyone."

"Not quite everyone." Zane told him. "Cole isn't here."

"I could do bacon instead!" Kai said eagerly, taking a step towards the frying pan, but Nya threw out her arm.

"I banned you from cooking when you were twelve, and that ban still stands!" She said firmly. "We're ninja, and ninja do not need food poisoning!"

"Food poisoning!" Came a voice from the doorway. "Has Jay been trying to make toast again?" Everyone looked up as Cole made an appearance through the door, the only one of the ninja to be fully dressed.

"Oh good, bacon time!" Kai said happily, taking a seat opposite his sister.

"Is that all I'm good for now? Bacon?"

"Well, um..."

"Whatever." Cole was smiling as he took the frying pan from it's wrack. Everyone's attention was diverted from breakfast for the moment, as Lloyd, the leader of the team, took a scroll of paper from his pocket.

"So, temporary master in training." Jay said. "What's on the agenda for today?"

"Well, we got a report of some curious activity going on in the jungle. The police went and checked it out, and found a large, mysterious building. They didn't want to go any further incase it was dangerous, so now it's our job."

"Sounds like a plan." Kai said, as Cole finished the first sandwich and waved it in front of Kai's face for a moment. The fire ninja's face lit up and he reached for it eagerly, only for Cole to snatch it away and, grinning, place it in front of Nya.

"You are mean!" Kai sulked as everyone laughed.

"Come on ninja!" Lloyd said as Cole buttered another roll. "We leave in an hour."

"Hmm, creepy." Jay muttered as the seven ninja, fully dressed in their ninja gear, stood in front of the mysterious building. It seemed like a warehouse crossed with a prison, and was painted entirely black. The whole thing didn't seem to have any doors, windows or way of entry.

"They could at least have a decent colour scheme, like red for instance." Kai said. Cole frowned at him. Lloyd turned to face the rest of the team.

"Come on guys, this is just a routine check in. We're going to look for an entrance, then we-"

But the ninja never found out what they would do after that, because the moment Lloyd took a step back, he disappeared. Harumi gave a gasp, as everyone else stood staring in shock at the place where their leader had stood. Jay took a step forwards and gave the dead leaves where Lloyd had been standing, a kick. They came aside to reveal a small, square device with a large circular window set in the middle of it. He frowned. He had read enough Fritz Donnegan comics to know what this was. A teleportation device.

"What do you make of it?" Cole asked, coming to Jay's side. A small grin crept up on the blue ninja's face.

"I say, this 'routine check in' just got interesting."


	3. Stalker Boards

**Hello my few followers and friends to this story. As promised, honorary shoutout to Loki God of Evil for being the first to post a review. Keep 'em coming people! I wish I owned Ninjago, but I don't. Drive safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and never burn your bacon sandwiches. Enjoy! :)**

BANG!

"You know Kai, it is possible to knock walls down without making that much noise." Zane said as the ninja recovered from the blast the Master of Fire had made. Kai rolled his eyes.

"Got the job done, didn't it?"

"Alright, we've got to move fast." Cole turned to face his teammates. "Whoever kidnapped Lloyd now knows we're here, thanks to that 'loud' entrance." Everyone looked at Kai. "So we have to get in, find Lloyd, find out what this building is for, and get out again. We're not here to fight."

"And who put you in charge?" Jay asked, frowning.

"Are you disagreeing with the plan?" Jay shook his head.

"No, no, great plan and all, but I just-" Nya kicked him.

"OK, teams of two. We'll meet over there in that swampy area," Cole pointed and they all turned to look. "In an hour. Got it?"

Everyone nodded, and Kai moved towards Nya, so Jay moved towards Cole, leaving Harumi with Zane.

"Go ninja go!" They all cried, and ran off down separate passages.

...

"Hello?" Jay called as he and Cole wondered down the empty passages. They had been going for more than twenty minutes and there was no sign of anything, just endless black corridors, hardly any lined with doors. Jay's voice echoed down the hallway. He gave a small laugh. "Hear that Cole? There's lots of... me-s out there today."

Cole rolled his eyes. He knew Jay was just worried about Lloyd, and trying to disguise it using bad jokes. But Jay was his best friend, he could see through him better than that. Cole turned his attention away from the blue ninja for a minute, and looked at the path ahead. The building had been very long, and they hadn't been travelling in a straight line, so it was impossible to know when the passage was going to end. Hopefully it wouldn't go on too long, tomorrow was Saturday.

"Hey, that's my symbol!" Jay exclaimed, shaking Cole out of his thoughts of Seliel. He turned to look, and gasped. They seemed to have entered a large hall or ampetheater, rectangular, dotted with a few strange looking tables which seemed to compare to hospital beds or dissecting tables. And on the furthest wall, at least ten feet tall, was a lightning bolt.

Cole gasped, and the ninja took a step forwards. Jay went over to the lightning bolt on the wall, and gave a short scream, his hand clapping to his mouth. He turned, and Cole could see that his eyes were filled with fear.

"Cole, I think it's BLOOD!" Cole gasped, and beckoned Jay over, he could tell the blue ninja wasn't going to hold up long while looking at that thing. He didn't particularly want to look at it either.

"I wonder what these are for?" Cole wondered aloud, examining one of the tables.

"Isn't it obvious?" Jay snapped. "They're torture devices." He shuddered. "Cole, let's get out of here, I don't like this at all."

Cole nodded in agreement, and pulled Jay's phone out of the other ninja's pocket. He look a picture of the room, particularly the tables and lightning bolt, and saved them. He then frowned. "Is that Kai?"

"I'll tell you later, Jay said, turning round to leave. Cole took a small dagger from his belt and made to cut a small strip from the cloth covering one of the tables, but he heard something from behind him. He turned, and ducked as a massive iron bar flew from the ceiling, as thick as his head and three meters long. The bar sped on past him, heading straight for...

"Jay, watch out!" Cole shouted. Jay whirled round just in time to see the bar heading straight for his face.

"Bugger!" He screamed, just before the bar smacked him in the face and sent him flying backwards.

"Jay!" Cole gasped, running towards his fallen friend. He tried to focus on Jay, not on what he had seen, out of the corner of his eye, moments before. A balcony they hadn't noticed previously, and upon it, a shadowy figure, watching...

...

Kai and his sister were having no better luck than Cole and Jay. Their passage was equally long and winding, though it was lined with doors at regular intervals. All were locked and windowless, which had lead the siblings on past them.

"Do you think Lloyd's even in the building at all?" Nya sighed as she tugged on yet another door, which refused to move. "I mean, if what Jay said was right, he could be anywhere in Ninjago!"

"Well, if he's somewhere in Ninjago, we might as well start looking here." Kai answered in a sullen tone. He suddenly lashed out and gave the door Nya had just tried, a terrific kick. He cursed and clutched his foot in pain.

"Kai, what's the matter?" Nya asked, putting a hand on her brother's shoulder. Kai shrugged it off angrily and began to continue down the passageway.

"Kai, wait!" Nya called, hurrying after her brother. He stopped and allowed her to catch up, but didn't look at her.

"You're worried about Lloyd, aren't you?" Nya asked. Kai looked even further away. "Don't worry, we'll find him." Nya said, placing a hand on her brother's shoulder.

"He could be dead!" Kai said, still looking past Nya. "He could have been transported straight into a lava pit and I didn't even do anything about it!"

"You couldn't have done anything!" Nya argued. "I know he's your best friend, and you have a right to be upset. But, whatever happens, IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT!"

Kai gave a small nod. "Ninja never quit." He muttered, and without another word, pulled on the door next to him.

It opened.

"Whoa, it's amazing what a little team spirit can do!" Nya exclaimed, as she and her brother slipped through the door. It was a smaller corridor , lined with a few doors, all of which had barred windows. Kai gave a gasp which, surprisingly to Nya, sounded happy. He turned to her, a smile on his face.

"Nya, this is a prison!"

"Which means, oh, you're right-"

"Kai?" A voice called from the third door down. Kai gave a gasp and ran to the door, Nya at his side. They peered in to see a familiar face staring back at them.

"Lloyd!" Kai gasped, delighted. He whipped his sword out from the sling over his back and plunged the sharp blade into the wood of the door. It cut easily, creating a little space through which Lloyd scrambled out.

"Thank goodness, I was beginning to think I'd be stuck here for days." He said. Kai shook his head and, grinning wildly, pulled his best friend into a hug.

"Why didn't you just use your powers to escape?" Nya asked. Lloyd held up his wrists.

"Vengestone bracelets." He told them, showing them the tight stone circles around his wrists. "I was unconscious at first, and when I came round, someone had fitted these."

"We'll get them off." Kai said. "Come on, we've got to go meet the others-"

"Wait." Lloyd said. He turned to the cell door opposite his own. "I wasn't alone." He told them.

...

"This place is huge." Harumi said, looking nervously around. Zane gave a nod in agreement as they continued down their chosen corridor. Out of the ninja (apart from Lloyd) Harumi felt the most comfortable with Zane. He was peaceful and less outgoing, just like her. Harumi knew she should get on well with Nya, the two girls did live together and were a similar age, but she was always nervous around Nya. She was so outgoing, so confident, so brilliant, Harumi could only wish that she was like that. She didn't even belong as a ninja, she had just learned to defend herself, and Lloyd had suggested making it official. She still wasn't sure why the ninja let her stay. She could just as easily move into the reconstructed palace.

"Look, a door." Zane said suddenly. She turned to her left and saw it.

"Do you think it is open?" She asked him. The nindroid shrugged, and together, they approached the door. It was a perfectly ordinary wooden door, with a big brass knob. Very slowly, Zane reached out and turned it.

The door swung open. Nothing else.

"Well, that was rather anti-climatic." He said with a smile. Harumi gave a nod, too nervous to smile. The two ninja entered the room. it appeared to be an office or bedroom, cosy with fur rugs and a beaten red sofa. A few shelves held rather uninteresting books, but the most curious items were two bulletin boards.

"Is that... Jay?" Harumi stared at the first. It was indeed Jay; many pictures of the blue ninja had been pinned up, either photographs or hand drawn sketches. Zna gave a gasp.

"I remember that day!" He exclaimed, pointing. "No one else was there!" The image depicted Jay frowning at Cole, amongst a large pit of tyres.

"That was when the nindroids invaded Ninjago!" Harumi gasped.

"That's Jay's parent's junkyard, and the picture looks like it was taken..." Zane took a closer look. "From the roof of his parent's trailer."

"So someone was watching you that day!" Harumi gasped. Zane gave a small shudder, and took a quick photograph with his eyes.

"The other board, that's Cole!" Harumi continued. There weren't as many pictures here, but they all depicted the black ninja."

"Whoever did this, they must be doing one for each of us." Zane said.

"Which means they only started criminal activity recently." Harumi finished. Zane nodded.

"I sense it is time to find the others." He told her. Harumi nodded. She couldn't wait to get back to the others.

 **That was kind of a long one, I hope it wasn't boring for you guys!**


	4. The Deepest Marsh in Ninjago

**Whew, chapter four already. Things are about to get interesting... In terms of the 'Honorary shoutout' the site for some reason wouldn't let me see the reviews for chapter three, so I'm going on what my email tells me. Our review posters are Loki God of Evil and MasterofCupcakes, shoutout goes to you guys. Don't get upset if you're not mentioned, all the readers are special. Yeah, you guys are the best! I wish I owned Ninjago, but I don't. Drive safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and always switch your night light off. Enjoy! :)**

Nya, Lloyd, Kai and the mysterious prisoner they had found in the cell opposite Lloyd's, were all waiting, concealed in the bushes in the meeting spot. There was a deep marsh next to them, one of the deepest in Ninjago, Lloyd had told her. Nya had been shocked to discover the state the other person was in. They were dirty, bedraggled, unconscious and had a thick, black hood tied over their face which no one had started removing yet. They seemed to have been imprisoned for weeks. Perhaps longer.

Nya knew they were early, but couldn't help but want the others to come back. They needed to get out of here.

"There's someone there!" Kai whispered suddenly, pointing, his movements only a slight rustle in the bushes. Nya looked and saw two people, or something else entirely, making their way towards them.

"Who is that?" Lloyd muttered from behind them.

"It can't be one of us, they're too in the open and moving too slowly." Nya whispered.

"No, I think someone's injured." Lloyd told her, peering a bit closer. "See how the lighter one's leaning on the other."

Nya gasped suddenly. "It's Jay!" She said, and before anyone could stop her, she had darted out of the bushes to her boyfriend. Kai and Lloyd had no choice but to follow.

"Jay!" Nya called softly. "Over here!" It was indeed Jay and Cole who were making their way over to them. Jay leaning on Cole for support. His face was a mess, he had broken his nose, which had bled all over, and he had two nasty black eyes.

"I can walk, Cole!" Jay snapped, embarrassed, and shoved his friend's hands away. He took one step before crumpling to the ground.

"Fine 'walking'!" Cole told him, before picking Jay up and supporting him again.

"What happened?" Nya gasped.

"I got hit in the face by a piece of celling." Jay told her, wincing as he spoke.

"I'm not so sure it was an accident." Cole said. "Right before it happened, I saw a figure out of the corner of my eye. I think it was a trap."

"Either way, I'm not coming back here in a hurry - Oh good, you found Lloyd!"

"Yeah, I'm here, and so is some other prisoner." Lloyd said, gesturing to the bushes. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off by Kai.

"There's someone coming!" The Master of Fire gasped. Everyone turned, hoping it would be Zane and Harumi. But no avail. The figure was alone, dressed in thick, grey, leather armour, and was wielding two, sharp swords. On it's shoulder was emblazoned...

"Great, my symbol AGAIN!" Jay complained.

"Do you think it's seen us?" Kai whispered.

"Hmm, let me think," Jay snapped. "We are fruit coloured ninja in the middle of a murky swamp, it's heading straight for is - OF COURSE IT'S SEEN US, FIREBRAIN!" Kai gave a shrug.

"Cole, get Jay behind the bushes, he's in no condition to fight." He said. Jay tried to argue, but Cole gave him a kick and shoved him to safety.

"Who are you?" Lloyd asked the figure, who was approaching very quickly. He didn't expect an answer, but he got one in a very deep, robotic, voice.

"I am," The figure gave a pause for effect. "The Lightning Phantom!"

"What is this guy's obsession with MY SYMBOL!" Jay whispered, frustrated.

"What do you want, lightning phantom?" Kai asked, drawing his sword. He could hear Lloyd and Nya drawing their weapons behind him. The Lightning Phantom said nothing, and already held a weapon. They raised their hand and pointed, straight at Lloyd's chest.

"I captured that prisoner." They said. "He now belongs to me."

"Hey, I belong to no one!" Lloyd snapped, tightening his grip on his weapon. The Lightning Phantom made no movement. Then, without warning, lunged straight at Kai's chest, faster than any opponent the ninja had ever fought before, almost at the speed of lightning. Fortunately, Kai was also fast, and ducked, rolling over on the ground. The Lightning Phantom raised their hand and a bolt of electricity fired out of it, hitting Kai in the chest and sending him spiralling through the air. He landed a foot or so away from where Jay and Cole were hiding. Jay reached out with a weak arm and touched Kai's chest. He shuddered as he drew the electricity and all it's effects away from Kai's body and into his own. Since he was the Master of Lightning, electricity could never cause him lasting damage.

"Stupid new weapons!" He muttered, furious.

The Lightning Phantom was now battling Lloyd, who was just as good a fighter. But one had better quality weapons and wasn't worried for the safety of his friends.

Cole used his elemental powers to summon a large rock from eleven feet behind him, and hurled it with all his strength at the Lightning Phantom. It managed to hit their helmet, but didn't have the desired effect, quite the opposite. The rock bounced off the helmet and smacked into Lloyd's forehead, making him stumble and leaving a nasty gash on his forehead. Cole gasped. The Lightning Phantom took advantage of Lloyd's sudden distraction and kicked him hard in the stomach, causing him to fall backwards...

Straight into one of the deepest marshes in Ninjago.

"No!" Kai screamed, as he had sat up just in time to see his friend disappear beneath the surface. He scrambled forwards and took a deep breath, preparing to dive in after him. But his breath was forced out of his lungs just as quickly as it went in. Kai hadn't realised that his breath was coming out in short, panicky gasps, sweat was forming on his forehead, and that his hands were shaking violently. He was back there again, stuck in that memory...

 _"Argh!" He screamed as he fell. It was strange how such a brave boy could sound so terrified._

 _"Lloyd!" Kai screamed, as he watched in horror; Lloyd falling into the water, going under, barely resurfacing. He ran before he knew what he was doing, he felt his heart pound in his chest, making him sick with fear. His best friend sped towards the waterfall, weakly reaching out in the desperate hope that someone would save him._

 _"I can't get to him!" Kai screamed. "I can't swim!" It was true, just thinking about being in the water made the knot in his stomach tighten._

 _"Can't swim!" Cole exclaimed. "I can't TOUCH the water!" He carried on complaining, but Kai could barely hear him, all his thoughts were just screaming one thing: he'll die, he'll die, he'll die._

 _Lloyd was struggling to breath as the water reached his mouth. Kai wanted to throw up, but he know what he had to do._

 _"He's going to drown!" Cole shouted._

 _He's going to drown... he's going to drown... he's going to drown..._

"He's going to drown!" Kai gasped as he struggled to control his breathing. He couldn't go in the water, he'd die, but so would Lloyd, and it would be ll his fault for his stupid cowardice!

A grey blur raced past Kai and plunged into the water.

"Nya!" He heard Jay scream. Kai's shaking hands wound into his hair, gripping it tightly, now both his best friend and sister had disappeared beneath the surface.

"She's the water ninja." He heard Cole say as he approached him, leaving Jay lying in the bushes. "She'll get him back."

Kai was beyond listening, he was just lost in his panic. He stared franticly at the water, hoping desperately it wouldn't be too late.

The water exploded. Kai gave a short scream as the marsh drew upwards, holding his sister, who was holding...

"Lloyd!" Kai gasped, as Nya made the water deposit herself and Lloyd on the ground. She gasped for breath, and Kai scrambled to his fried. His worst fears were confirmed. Lloyd wasn't breathing.

"No!" Kai screamed, and remembered back to the CPR training Wu had given them. Why hadn't he listened!

"It's a drowning Kai, mouth to mouth!" Cole told him. Kai nodded and, shaking, tilted Lloyd's head back and pressed his own lips against the green ninja's.

Cole watched in mortal agony as Kai breathed into Lloyd's lungs. The seconds seemed to stretch out into years as he watched, helping Jay sit up, Nya recovering and watching in fear too. It almost seemed like it was fruitless, that Lloyd would never breath again, but suddenly...

"Argh, gross!" Kai flew off Lloyd and fell heavily onto all fours, spitting vomit onto the ground. Lloyd took a massive gasp and rolled over too, wrenching and spitting. The cut on his forehead was still bleeding.

"Lloyd" Cole gasped, and dropped Jay, running towards the green ninja. Lloyd took a few more deep breaths, and collapsed onto his side, eyes shut. He appeared to be unconscious, but alive.

"Oh my goodness, what happened!" Came a voice. Cole looked up to see Harumi and Zane running towards them.

"Shit happened." Cole said. "Kai, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kai stood up and gently picked up Lloyd from the ground The green ninja lay limp in his arms his chest gently rising and falling. Cole went back over to Jay and helped him up.

"Come on." He said. "We've got to get out of here. Zane, there's another prisoner in the bushes, you take him."

Everyone made their way back to the truck they had used to get here. Kai managed to jump into the back while still holding Lloyd, Nya and Harumi (who cast a worried look at Lloyd) climbed into the front, and everyone else got into the back.

"Let's get this hood off the prisoner." Zane said after they had been travelling for a while. He took out a shuriken and cut the cloth away, revealing the prisoner's face. The ninja frowned down on an aged man with black hair streaked with silver. He sported a small moustache and had a small scar on his forehead.

"He looks familiar, don't you think?" Cole asked.

Jay's mouth fell open. The man was more than familiar. Jay knew exactly who this was, felt a connection deeper than comic books.

This was Cliff Gordon.

That was the last thing Jay thought before he blacked out.


	5. Zappy and Boulder Brain

**What's up guys? Unfortunately, the site still won't let me see the new reviews, so if anyone knows how to fix it, send me a message (though not in review form!) And worse still, I think there's a new review, but now my email won't let me see those either! To quote Kai 'I hate technology!' Anyway, Drive safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and never swear around young children. Enjoy:)**

"Urgh..." Jay gave a small groan as he blinked his eyes open. His head was on fire and his limbs were refusing to move.

"Jay, you're awake!" Came a familiar voice. Jay swivelled his eyeballs in it's direction. It was Cole, of course, sitting on a chair beside him. Jay realised he was lying in the bed he shared with Nya. He groaned again, moved his head in Cole's direction, feeling the rustle of a bandage around his head.

"C, Cole? What happened?"

"You passed out in the truck, nearly fell out. We're back at the temple now. Lloyd came round about an hour ago, we've just been sorting ourselves out really. Harumi made everyone sandwiches, I left yours over on the dresser."

Jay sat back in bed and struggled to remember what had happened. Then it hit him again, and he suddenly felt all light headed. There was a rushing in his ears as he remembered.

 _You see son, you're adopted._

 _My father wasn't just a fan of Fritz Donnegan..._

"Oh shit..." Jay gasped. Cole looked worried.

"Jay, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just..." Jay felt sick, too sick to think of a lie.

"The prisoner." He said weakly to Cole. "The other one, what-"

"He's fine, still out cold, but alive. The others are waiting for him to come round now." Cole frowned. "What is it Jay? I'm your best friend, you can tell me."

Jay sighed. "You know my parents?"

"Ed and Edna, yeah, I don't-"

"They're not my real parents!" Jay gasped, his headache was close to unbearable, and he couldn't bear to listen to Cole. His friend gasped too.

"What? Oh hell, Jay!"

"I was found on their doorstep as a baby." Jay told him, closing his eyes and lying back. "Don't ask me how I know this, I just do, but that man down there right now is my birth father."

"Bloody hell!" Cole gasped, instinctively looking at the door, through which lay the other prisoner. "Jay, I, I don't know what to say!"

"You don't have to say anything." Jay told him. "It's just, just good to tell someone at last. Just, please don't tell anyone else."

"I won't, I promise." Cole placed his hand on Jay's and they smiled at each other.

"Yo, zappy and boulder brain." Kai called from the door, suddenly appearing. "While you were confessing your gay love for each other, the other prisoner woke up. Everyone's going to talk to him."

"Oh please, if there's any ninja likely to be gay for each other, it's you and Lloyd!" Cole said, grinning. Kai stuck his tongue out and disappeared. Now that everyone was out of danger, he seemed a lot calmer and back to his usual cocky self. Cole and Jay waited until he was gone, then exploded into laughter.

"Kai and Lloyd, now that would be a sight for sore eyes!" Jay exclaimed through giggles.

"What would their couple's name be?" Cole asked, still laughing.

"Ooh, I know, Kaiyd!" Jay said. Cole shook his head.

"No, it doesn't really work." He said. "Oh, I've got it, Greenflame!"

"Ha, good one!" Jay laughed. Cole stood up.

"You coming?"

Jay shook his head, suddenly feeling sick again, all laughter forgotten. He lay back down again.

"I think I'm just going to stay here." He said. "I can't face him, I won't be able to."

Cole nodded. "I'll tell them you're still suffering from your concussion." He said. "It was really spectacular how you managed to stay conscious that long."

Jay gave a small nod as Cole left. He turned his head away from the door, eyes shut tight. He couldn't stop the small drops of moisture escaping. When your whole life is ripped apart in an instant, it's hard not to cry.

...

The prisoner sat in an armchair in one of the ninja's most comfortable rooms. They weren't sure what this man had been through, so it was best to keep it friendly. The prisoner was still dressed in their prison clothes, which seemed to be a fancy dressing gown over evening clothes, presumably what he had been wearing when he was captured. He had neatened himself up a bit, by washing his face.

Lloyd looked up as Cole entered. He gave the black ninja a quizzical look as if to say 'Where's Jay?'.

Cole shook his head and went to sit down. This clearly meant there was only going to be six ninja for the interview. Lloyd turned back to the prisoner and cleared his throat. The prisoner looked up at him.

"I'm sorry for everything you've been through, but we need to ask you some questions about who captured you, is that alright?" Lloyd asked.

The prisoner nodded. "Fire away." He said.

"First, what's your name?" Lloyd asked

"My name's Cliff Gordon." The man told them. Kai gave a sudden start.

"Cliff Gordon, the actor?" He gasped. The prisoner nodded.

"But, but, you're dead!" Kai exclaimed. "It was all over Chirp!"

Cliff Gordon gave a still nod. "The cause of my 'death' was never released." He told Kai. "This was because whoever entered my home on that day, found a suicide note in my handwriting, explaining that I would be gone by the time they read this, and that all of my possessions should go to my son." He sighed. "I was forced to write that at gunpoint. From then on, I was held captive by the Lightning Phantom."

"That was years!" Harumi gasped. "You poor man, held captive for years!" Cliff Gordon shrugged.

"It doesn't feel like years when every day is stretched out into the next." He told them, and ushered a small frown. "Forgive me, but I thought there was one girl and five male ninjas?" He asked. "Didn't you have a blue one?"

"Harumi's a new ninja." Cole told him. "And Jay... he's still recovering from his injuries." Cole was shocked by one particular part of the man's story. All his possessions to go to his son. Was that son, Jay? Or was it someone else? Did Jay have a brother? Or did Cliff Gordon know about the identity of his child?

The interview was a short one, just some more basic questions about the prison and the Phantom. Cole wasn't really listening, he was too busy thinking about his friend upstairs. What should he tell him?

Jay had slipped out of bed, his head still roaring, and was leaning against the door, listening to his birth father talk. When it came to his question about the blue ninja, Jay wanted to slip into that room and show himself. But he couldn't. He knew he wouldn't even be able to watch Starfarer ever again after this. He couldn't face the man without a million questions pouring out of him. Why? Why give up your own son?

...

Kai and Lloyd stood in the training room, face to face. Cliff Gordon was resting, the interview was over and the Wi-Fi was out. What was there to do except train?

"Prepare to have your ass kicked, green ninja!" Kai said with a grin as he grabbed two staffs which were leaning against the wall. Lloyd grinned maliciously back at him, and grabbed the staff Kai threw at him. Both had removed their shirts for the exercise. Kai looked at the other boy. It was rare Lloyd ever took his shirt off, and Kai knew exactly the reason. He knew the long scars that lay over the other boy's back, and couldn't help but wince whenever he saw them. It was a constant reminder of a time when Kai had never felt more sick with worry over his best friend.

 _"Lloyd!" Kai gasped. "You're awake!"_

 _"Barely." The green ninja moaned. "Oh, my bloody head!"_

 _"Don't let your mum hear you swear!" Kai said teasingly. Lloyd rolled his eyes._

 _"How long was I out?"_

 _"Just an hour or so. We got you as far as the entrance to the tomb, then you just passed out on us. Your mum says your body was completely exhausted, I assuming Morro doesn't sleep much."_

 _"He's a ghost." Lloyd told him. "They never sleep." A small shudder ran through his body and he sat himself up. Only then did he realise he was no longer wearing his ninja suit, but his pajamas. He went pale._

 _"Lloyd." Kai said comfortingly. "I'm the only one who's seen. It's alright." The green ninja gently placed a hand on his back and winced in pain._

 _"What happened?" Kai asked. He had seen the scars, still red with fresh wound._

 _"It was Morro." Lloyd told him, staring right past Kai. "After you got the sword, he was... so angry. He got me back to his base, and he... found this whip..." Lloyd broke off and Kai could see tears in his eyes. He reached out and pulled Lloyd towards him and let the other boy cry softly against his chest, like Kai was the father he no longer had._

 _"It's alright." Kai whispered softly. "I'm never going to let anyone hurt you ever again."_

Kai had done his best to keep the promise he had made to himself at that moment. But yesterday, he had thought it would be broken again and he would lose Lloyd. But Lloyd was brave and strong. He stood here in front of Kai, holding his staff, no trace of the boy whom Kai had given CPR to the day before.

Lloyd suddenly lunged towards Kai, and the Master of Fire spiralled out of the way, and came in with his own attack. Lloyd blocked it with his staff and the two ninja engaged in a ferocious battle until they were exhausted.

"Yarrgh!" Kai made a sudden movement and flipped Lloyd onto his back. Lloyd gave a sudden cry of pain and rolled over onto his stomach. Kai glimpse his scars, vivid red against the green ninja's pale complexion.

"Oh no, Lloyd, I'm sorry!" Kai gasped. Lloyd shook his head and picked himself up.

"It's alright Kai." He said, a little too cheerily.

"No, it's not." Kai sighed. "If I hadn't sent you off that stupid cliff-"

"No!" Lloyd snapped. Kai's eyes widened in surprise. "Every time I hurt myself, you blame yourself." Lloyd said, frowning. "Nya told me what happened yesterday. That was no one's fault but mine." Kai gave a small shrug.

"I just worry too much." He said. "OK?"

Lloyd shook his head, and then, with lightning speed, tripped Kai up with his staff and pointed the end at his face.

"Never let your guard down." He said with a smile.


	6. A Story of a Past

**Hello friends, neighbours and aliens from other planets. New chapter here, a bit longer than usual, but I needed to get this section of the story done. As I can't even ready the reviews properly, so Honorary shoutout goes to whoever posted 'That's quite a lot for jay to deal with, hope he will be up to talking to his father soon. And poor Cliff - having been a prisoner for that long... Cute chapter title ;).' Yeah, my email calls you 'Guest'. I don't know if that's your real username or not, but, whatever, shoutout goes to you. Drive safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and keep ice-cream in the freezer. Enjoy:)**

Jay's headache had loosened enough for him to be up and around, but he was making sure he went nowhere near the sitting room where Cliff Gordon was. He just hoped the other man would leave before he had to meet him. Jay knew Cole would want him to meet Cliff Gordon, but Jay just wanted to avoid him forever, avoid the truth forever. He stood in his bedroom, staring out of the window over the desert. The floating temple was ever-moving; right now they were floating above the desert. Jay squinted into the distance, hoping to see his parent's junkyard. The one thing that seemed right in this whirl of confusion.

"Erm, excuse me? Mr Walker?" Jay stiffened. He knew that voice. Very slowly, he turned, and froze.

Cliff Gordon stood in the doorway.

"Or can I call you Jay?" He asked.

"Err, Jay's fine." Jay gasped, feeling light headed all of a sudden. His heart was beating so fast and he felt sick. How could this be happening?!

"Alright, Jay, I..." Cliff Gordon had his hands in his pockets and seemed to be avoiding the blue ninja's eye. "I know something.. important. And it may come as a shock to you-" No! Jay thought. No, I don't need this! His heart was pounding, he couldn't hold himself back.

"I know you're my dad!" He gasped. Cliff Gordon stopped in his tracks.

"W, what?"

"I know you're my dad!" Jay said, a small tear emerging from his eye. "I know that you're my real father, that I was adopted and you abandoned me." Another tear fell. Cliff Gordon was still standing, shocked.

"Why?" Jay asked, shaking. "How could you give up your own son! Don't give me any bullshit, you had the money, you could pay for a baby sitter, even if my real mum is dead..." Jay took a deep breath and looked his real father in the eye. "I'm your flesh and blood. I would never get rid of my own child!"

"Jay, I..." The actor trailed off. "I would have kept you, I wanted to keep you, but..." He sighed. "It's a long story."

"Give it to me." Jay said sternly, wiping his eyes.

"Ooh, a story! This sounds interesting." Jay and Cliff looked up as Cole appeared round the door.

"How long were you listening?" Jay demanded.

"Long enough." Came Zane's voice, and he appeared in the room as well, followed by Harumi and Nya. Jay rolled his eyes.

"Great, you guys are here as well!" Jay complained.

"Ooh, something going on in here?" Kai appeared in the doorway, sweaty from training. Lloyd appeared, pulling his shirt over his head. Cole caught Jay's eye and mouthed 'Greenflame'. Jay allowed himself a small smile.

"Looks like we have quite an audience." Cliff said, and he went to sit on the bed. Jay, after a moment's thought, sat down next to him.

"Well, Jay." Cliff said. "It happened like this..."

 _The sun was setting over the mansion. It glowed red on the sea behind it, viewed from the balcony of the house. Cliff came out of the balcony doors, a glass of champagne in each hand. He brought them over to the small table which had two chairs, one of which was occupied by a tall woman with long blonde hair. She smiled at her husband._

 _"About time." She said, smiling. Cliff sat opposite his wife (whose name was Ennergise) and handed her a glass._

 _"I got a call for an acting job." He said. "Some space film, based off a comic. Probably won't get many views."_

 _"With you playing the lead, it'll be the hottest thing in Ninjago!" Ennergise told him. Cliff smiled and leaned towards her-_

"Ok, Ok, we don't need all the details!" Jay said, embarrassed.

"Oh come on, this is kind of interesting." Cole grinned.

"Yeah, in fact, why don't we skip back a few months..." Added Kai. Jay glared as Cliff continued with the story...

 _There came a crying sound from the room along the balcony. Ennergise sighed and left. She came back, a baby in her arms._

 _"Come on son, time to go to sleep now." She whispered. The baby was small, even for the age of just one week. He sported bright auburn hair and wore a pale blue baby suit with the letter 'J' embroided on the front, for the baby's name: Jayden._

"Jayden!" Nya exploded into laughter. "My boyfriend's real name is Jayden!" All of the ninja laughed apart from Jay, who stared sullenly at the ground.

"Yes, Jayden Robert Gordon." Cliff said with a smile. "That is what we named him."

 _Jayden began to settle in his mother's arms. She smiled down at him, then looked up at her husband._

 _"On the table, that's the address we need to give the decorators, and the spare key for him to use." She said. Cliff picked them up and tucked them into his jacket. Jayden had gone to sleep at last. It looked like it would be the peaceful evening they hoped for..._

 _"Master of Lightning!" Came a harsh voice. Cliff and Ennergise jumped and turned. On the other end of the balcony was a grey, suited figure, holding a sharp sword. On their shoulder was emblazoned, a lightning bolt._

"The Lightning Phantom!" Exclaimed Lloyd. Cliff nodded.

"So you have met him too."

 _Passing Jayden to Cliff, Ennergise was on her feet in a flash._

 _"What do you want?" She snapped._

 _"I want the Master of Lightning!" The Lightning Phantom declared._

 _"Well you can't have her!" Ennergise said, and pulled a sword and a pair of nunchucks from under the table._

 _"Not you!" The Lightning Phantom said, and pointed at the baby in Cliff Gordon's arms. "The new Master of Lightning!" Cliff and Ennergise gasped, and stared at their son._

 _"It can't be!" Ennergise gasped._

 _"It is." The Lightning Phantom said. "Now hand him over!"_

 _"Never." Cliff spat. Ennergise frowned._

 _"Cliff, take the glider, get Jayden as far away as possible!" She told him._

 _"But, what about you?"_

 _"I was an elemental master, Cliff, I can look after myself!" Ennergise declared. She faced the Lightning Phantom. "Now GO!"_

 _Cliff ran with his son in his arms, and reached the jet he and his wife owned. He climbed in and fired up the engine."_

"Whoa, my parents had a jet!" Jay exclaimed, before remembering that he was sulking. Cliff nodded.

"When you're that rich, you can have just about anything." Cliff told him.

 _They had been flying for a while, now over the desert. Cliff knew he needed to get back, he couldn't leave his wife to face this enemy all alone. But he couldn't take Jayden back either. He had inherited his mother's powers, which seemed to be attracting this danger._

 _Cliff landed the jet before he even knew what he was doing, and took his son out in an old basket. He found a large rock, and tucked his son beside it. "Please let him be safe." He whispered, and kissed Jaden gently on the forehead. He was so worried about his family, he scarcely noticed when the key and address he had tucked into his jacket earlier, fell out and into the basket containing his son._

 _"I'll be back." He said. "I promise." He turned and ran back to the jet."_

"When I got back," Cliff sighed, looking at the floor. "The balcony was a wreck, and Ennergise was... nowhere to be seen. Neither was the Phantom. So I rushed as fast as I could back to where I left you, but..." He bit his lip.

"You had disappeared. I thought the Phantom had taken you." The ninja all looked solemn. This man was clearly broken by his past.

"How did I go from a rock in the desert to my... adoptive parents junkyard?" Jay asked. Cliff shrugged. Then they heard someone clear their throat.

"I believe I may know." Zane said, looking uncomfortable. Everyone frowned at him.

"Err, do tell?" Jay said. Zane looked at the ground.

 _A robotic falcon curved through the air, calling out in it's falcon call. It may look normal to most, but many miles away, a young nindroid sat at the controls. He was just learning to control his pet from the tree he called home, along with his father._

 _The falcon sailed on until it spotted something. Zane frowned and brought it in closer. It was a baby, lying in a basket and crying. Zane gasped, and made the falcon pick the baby up. It needed to be put somewhere safe. He made the falcon fly through the night until it spotted lights. A caravan and mounds of tyres and scrap metal with a wall all around. Zane could just see people moving inside. It would do._

 _Gently, Zane brought the bird down and placed the baby on the caravan doorstep. It would be found in the morning, he was sure of it. As Zane heard his father calling him, he brought the bird up and away._

"So, let me get this straight!" Jay rounded on Zane. "You remember bringing an auburn haired baby to my parent's junkyard, but didn't consider saying anything?"

"Even when I turned on my memory switch, I still couldn't recover all of my data!" Zane told him in defence. "This only came back to me now when your father's story was told!"

"Calm down Jay, he did what he thought was right." Lloyd said. Jay sighed and turned back to Cliff.

"How did you realise the blue ninja was your son?" He asked.

"It was after the great devourer was destroyed." Cliff said. "The four ninja went on a talk show as thanks for saving the city-"

"Actually, my dad saved the city." Lloyd reminded him.

"With a little ninja help!" Kai added. "Go on."

"So, I decided to watch," Cliff continued. "And the moment I saw you, it was the happiest I had been in years! I could tell exactly who you were right away, you looked exactly like your mother, had her hair, at least what it was like before she died it. And..." Cliff reached up and touched his left eyebrow. "Did you ever wonder how you got that gap in your eyebrow."

"My par- adoptive parents told me I was born with it." Jay said.

"Well, you were." Cliff said. He rubbed his own eyebrow, and some of it came away, revealing a gap just like Jay's that had been painted over.

"It's the birthmark of the Gordon family." He told Jay. "The moment I saw it, I knew my son was alive."

"But why not say anything?" Harumi asked quietly. "Believe me, I know how painful it is to be separated from your parents. We all do."

"He seemed so happy with the parents he had." Cliff told them. "I couldn't ruin that for him. But..." He turned to Jay.

"If I had known you knew about me, I would have told you the truth straight away." Cliff told his son. "I'm sorry for what you had to go through all these years. I hope you can forgive me."

Jay gave a sigh and looked at the ground. Then he smiled. "Of course." He said. "Dad."

Cliff gave the widest smiles they had ever seen someone give and pulled his son into a hug.

"This clears up our goals as well." Lloyd said, drawing the attention away from Jay and his father for a moment. "All we have to do is invade the building again, capture this 'Lightning Phantom' before he finds Jay, and find out what he did with Ennergise Gordon."

"She's alive." Cliff said. "I know it."

"Good." Said Jay. "Then we can all be a family again, and you can meet my adoptive parents."

Cliff gave a nod, but seemed a little fazed out.

"Yes." He said. "A family."

"Come on." Said Nya. "Tomorrow's Sunday, so we can-"

"Sunday!" Cole gasped. "Oh shit!" He dashed out without another word.

"What's his problem?" Kai wondered aloud.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Cliff asked. The ninja looked blankly.

"Well it seems to me," Cliff grinned. "That your friend has a date."


	7. Chirp Chirp!

**Celebrate good times! Finally, I can read all your lovely reviews on the site! Thanks for the revelation MasterofCupcakes! This morning's Honorary shoutout goes to Loki God of Evil. Drive safe, hang your coat up, tuck your kids into bed and don't run on slippery surfaces. Enjoy :)**

Cole reached the 5th street coffee and panini shop, panting for breath. How could he have forgotten? It was now afternoon **,** and Seliel would have com in the morning. He was screwed.

Cole entered the outdoor seating area and, to his surprise, saw Seliel waiting for him at a table. He gave a sigh of relief and went to join her.

"Cole, hey!" Seliel said happily. "I thought I had missed you, my manager kept me working ALL morning!" She blew out sharply. "Good to see you."

"I thought I'd missed you!" Cole told her. "I got, err, tied up."

"Ninja business?" Seliel asked, examining the menu. Cole gasped.

"What, how-"

"I know you're a ninja Cole. I just didn't say anything in case you thought I was another deranged fan girl."

Cole laughed. "You think I get deranged fan girls! No, they all chase Kai and Lloyd. Oh, that reminds me..." Cole and Seliel talked for a long while, sipping their drinks which arrived fairly quickly. Cole told Seliel about all the latest ninja gossip, making her laugh when he told her about Greenflame. Seliel promised not to share any of this on Chirp. That was proof enough to Cole that she was not a deranged fan girl.

"So, where do you work?" Cole asked.

"City Hall." Seliel told him. "I sort through records. Bit of a boring job, but it pays well because they can't get anyone else to do it!" She laughed. Cole did too, just to be polite. He wasn't sure about Seliel, but there was something about her that intrigued him. She was so lively and always seemed to smile. She brought a smile to his face, but he didn't know how she felt about him. He took a deep breath. He had fought skeletons, snakes and pirates. He couldn't be afraid of one girl.

"Erm, Seliel?" He asked, trying to sound casual.

"Yeah?"

"What are we?" He blurted out, before realising how foolish he sounded. Why hadn't he kept his mouth SHUT!

"What do you mean?" Seliel asked with a frown.

"I mean..." Cole took another deep breath. "What is our relationship? Are we friends, or are we... you know, more than that?" Bloody hell, he sounded like Jay!

"Well, right now, I think we're friends." Seliel told him, stirring her coffee and looking away from Cole. "But, I think... I'd like to be more than that."

...

Cole was unaware that he had been followed from the temple. The moment it had been revealed that Cole might have a date, Kai had grabbed Zane and dashed out the door after the Master of Earth. The pair of them stood across the street now, Zane using one of his many features, which converted his left arm into a pair of binoculars.

"Oh, she's HOT!" Kai exclaimed as he peered through Zane's arm. "Have you got a camera somewhere?"

"Kai, I'm not sure about this." Zane said, peering with his own eyes. "Cole is a brother, we should respect his privacy.

"Oh come ON!" Kai said, fumbling in his pocket for his phone. He drew it out and took a few photos. "I can't WAIT to show this to Jay! Or even better, post it on Chirp! That'll get Cole back for that picture he took of me!"

"Technically, Jay took that picture." Zane said, looking down at his over-excited friend. "Cole just posted it."

But Kai hadn't been listening, he gave a gasp and clutched at Zane's mechanical arm. "Oh My Gosh, THEY ARE KISSING! THEY ARE KISSING, ZANE!"

Zane's curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to focus on Cole and the violette haired girl. It was true, they were practically making out over the table.

"Have you got pictures, no, I can get pictures!" The nindroid said excitedly, and his eyes started taking pictures. Kai laughed.

"I knew there was still a teenager down somewhere inside of you, Zane!"

...

Cole arrived back at the temple half an hour later, his girlfriend's number in his pocket and a smile on his face. He entered the kitchen where Jay, Harumi, Nya and Zane were sat, laughing.

"Hey, who wants bacon sandwiches for dinner?" Cole asked, still grinning.

"Trying to get used to making them after you've had a lady over for the night?" Nya asked, smiling broadly. Cole frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Take a look at Kai's Chirp account!" Jay giggled. Cole, still frowning, took out his phone and pressed the Chirp app. He gasped and his face went bright red.

"KAI!" He yelled.


	8. On a starry night

**Hey guys, hope you've been enjoying this story as much as I have. I have posted another fanfiction, but as it says there, I'll still finish The Lightning Phantom. Today's Honorary shoutout goes to MasterofCupcakes, Lightning Phantom's long time reviewer. Good to see you're enjoying it! Drive safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and remember to switch the oven on before you start cooking. Enjoy :)**

The sun had set over the Temple of Airjitzu, Cole had finished chasing Kai all around the building and everyone was preparing to go to bed. Jay sat in his and Nya's room, lost in thought. He loved his adoptive parents and knew that they would always be a mother and father to him, but now he had found a new father and a new mother to rescue. Jay had no idea how to deal with this. Was it possible to love four people for the same thing?

"Hey." Nya entered the room, shaking Jay out of his thoughts. He gave her a nod of hello. They had been sharing a room for several months, a new phase in their relationship.

"Are you alright Jay?" Nya asked her boyfriend, Jay gave a nod.

"Yeah, fine." He lied. Nya gave a sigh and gave him a curious look.

"Do you want to come and look at the stars with me?" She asked him, a sad sort of smile on her face. "It's a full moon, and they seem pretty bright."

Jay was rather confused by the offer, but decided to come along anyway. He and Nya often went up to the roof of the temple to watch the night role by. It was usually when one of them had something on their mind, but in this instance, it seemed Nya suspected that there was something on his.

"You were right, it's beautiful out here tonight." Jay sighed, as the couple reclined on the rooftop. "Hey, that rhymes." He gave a feeble giggle.

Nya sighed. "Are you sure you're alright Jay?" She asked. Jay lay down below his girlfriend.

"Honestly, no." He sighed. Nya slid down the rooftop so she was just above Jay.

"I'm your girlfriend, you can tell me anything." She told him. Jay looked up at the glowing stars.

"I feel like everyone just expects me to be a Gordon right away." He said, while his eyes were fixed on the heavens. "But I know that I still see myself as Jay Walker. I grew up as that poor kid with the weird parents who loves inventing, never knew he was an elemental master, and wanted a girlfriend so badly he practised kissing on his pillow. "Nya smiled a little. "But now I'm being told I was destined to be Jayden Gordon, the posh kid with the famous parents, who loves... whatever posh kids love doing, was trained in the lightning element from the start and would have had several girlfriends before he was twelve." He gave another heavy sigh and turned towards Nya. "With my real dad showing up and my original life being discovered, I don't know who I'm meant to be."

Nya gave Jay a trusting smile. "Jay, no-one expects you to be Jayden right away. I mean, you just found out that you were never really abandoned, and you don't just forgive months of hurt after one story. I know Cliff seems like a great guy and all, but you don't instantly love someone because you're related. It takes time."

"It didn't take time when I saw you." Jay smiled. Nya gave a small laugh.

"Come here then, Master of Lightning." The couple kissed. Nya looked deeply into Jay's green eyes.

"We are going to figure this out, together." She told him.

...

Lloyd was coming out of the bathroom after his shower, his hair still dripping. He never dried it properly, his one fatal flaw, as his mother used to say. Lloyd entered his room and cast off the towel round his shoulders he had only brought in case someone was in the hallway. He wasn't ashamed of the scars her bore, he just didn't want other's sympathy. Didn't want to be viewed as weak, the ninja forever broken by his past.

Lloyd knew he should get some rest, tomorrow they were heading back out to the building to hopefully capture the Lightning Phantom As the team leader, Lloyd was the one who had the final say, and he wasn't totally sure that Jay should be joining them, Not only had the other boy just learned what happened to his parents all those years ago, but for some reason, the Lightning Phantom seemed to be after the Master of Lightning. It would compromise Jay's safety, but Lloyd knew that Jay would never agree to stay behind. Lloyd also worried about Harumi whenever they went on a mission; she was less trained, she didn't even know spinjitzu yet! And it was also because Lloyd cared, though he had tried to deny it, he did care greatly about Harumi. He scoffed slightly. Like she'd ever care about him.

Though it was late at night, Lloyd wasn't tired. Yet he climbed into bed regardless. What was there to stay up for? He lay for a few moments, shifting to ease the pain in his back. Though the wound was years old, it was still painful whenever he lay on his back. Lloyd gave a sigh and closed his eyes, hoping tomorrow would go as planned.

...

Cole was a fourth ninja still awake, though he didn't want to be. He had had his first girlfriend, first kiss and first national humiliation all in one day. It was the sort of day you wanted to leave alone. Cole lay awake in his bed, trying to sleep, yet knowing that something was bugging him, preventing his rest. He rolled over, sick of it all. When he had been little, his mother used to come into his room whenever he couldn't sleep, and spend the night there. Something about her presence seemed to soothe Cole, and he had had many sleepless nights after she had died.

Thinking about his mother gave Cole an idea, and he rolled over to pick up his phone. He dialled the number.

"What are you doing up?" Seliel asked sleepily.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Cole asked. "Listed Seliel, I need a favour."

Does it require me getting out of bed?"

"Not at the moment."

OK then, what?"

"I need to look at certain records, my mother." Cole told her. "I want to know more about her, she never told us her past, only her maiden name: Hemmingway. She's called Ruth Brookestone."

"I'll see what I can do." Seliel told him, yawning. "I'll check at work in the morning. Is that all?"

"Yeah, wait, erm..." Something sprang to Cole's mind. "Could you have a look for anything concerning a certain individual - The Lightning Phantom."

Seliel was quiet for a moment. "What sort of a title is that?" She asked.

"I don't know, but it would be a great help if you could."

"Sure thing." Seliel said. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye. Goodnight." Cole hung up the phone and rolled over, able to sleep at last.

...

Jay and Nya were still on the temple roof. Nya had fallen asleep against Jay's arm, leaving the blue ninja alone with his thoughts. Jay's eyes wondered down towards the ground below, and saw something odd. A figure, slipping out the temple doors. Jay frowned, and slipped down the rooftop away from Nya to investigate.

The figure looked nervously up towards the temple, so Jay slid to the edge of the roof and quietly used his Airjitzu to get down to the ground.

"Hello?" He asked. The figure jumped and turned, and Jay saw who it was.

"Dad?" He said, confused. "Where are you going?"

Cliff Gordon sighed. "I was going to leave, back home." He told Jay.

"What, why? It might not be safe!" Jay protested.

"I've given all the information I need to give, and met you." Cliff said. "I don't need to be here any longer. I'd rather just go back home and wait for this mess to be over." He looked pleadingly at Jay. "I need to get back home, son." He said. "I left a note for everybody, could you not, tell the others about this."

Jay considered. He had a choice, not let his father leave, or let him go. It was one of the easiest decisions he had ever made, aside from falling for Nya.

"Sure dad." He grinned.

...

"Cliff Gordon." The actor jumped. The Lightning Phantom stood in the living room, their mask off. Cliff's hands started to shake.

"I never thought I'd see you again." He told them.

"When should I expect the ninja?" The Lightning Phantom asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon." Cliff sighed and looked at the ground. "I don't want to betray my son."

"You betrayed your child long ago." The Lightning Phantom told him. "Keep an eye on the ninja for me, spy."

Cliff bit his lip. He knew what would happen if he disobeyed. "Yes, my darling." He said.

 **I know Lloyd's scene wasn't really necessary, but I wanted to show a bit more about his feelings for Harumi.**


	9. Cunningham

**Chapter Nine arrives! The last one left off on a tense moment, so have fun reading! Honorary shoutout to Loki God of Evil. Yeah, long time reviewer, thank you so much! Drive safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and never vote Trump. Enjoy :)**

The ninja's mission to the Lightning Phantom's base was scheduled for early afternoon, so the ninja were spending their time training. Sweat beaded on Cole's forehead as he sparred with Jay. The two were familiar with each other's fighting styles and Cole liked fighting Jay. It reminded him that there was always someone whose ass he could easily kick.

"How are you after your dad left?" Cole asked as he lunged at Jay's chest. Jay jumped backwards and attempted to kick Cole's legs out from under him, but failed.

"I'm good." He said brightly. Cole frowned. It didn't even sound like Jay was faking a good mood, and Cole knew how bad of an actor he was.

"You sure?" He asked curiously. Jay nodded, and kicked out at Cole's chest, causing him to stumble.

"Come on Cole, get your head in the game!" The blue ninja joked. "About my dad, we didn't have a huge personal connection, and I'm sure he's fine. I'll go back and see him when all of this is over." Cole nodded, and held out his hand to Jay. Confused, Jay took it. Cole swiftly stepped forward and flipped Jay onto his back.

"Don't let your guard down, blue ninja." Cole smirked. There was the sound of a gong. The doorbell. Jay went over to the window and peered out. He grinned.

"Hey boulder brain, it's your girlfriend!" Cole rolled his eyes and pulled on his shirt. Jay smiled as he watched Cole hurry to the door. "Good luck." He grinned, and went over to the window to watch.

...

"Seliel, hey." Cole smiled. "I didn't expect you until later."

"Yeah, I got into work early." Seliel said. "Listen Cole, I looked into what you told me and I... found something big." Cole frowned. Seliel seemed a little unnerved

"What sort of 'big'?" He asked. Seliel shook her head.

"Just, just read it." Seliel pushed a few papers into Cole's hands. He turned the top one over. It seemed to be some sort of personal file. He looked at the name.

 _Ruth. C. Brookestone (B Hemmingway)_.

Cole looked up at Seliel. "My mother." He said. Seliel nodded, and Cole continued to read. Most of it was just general information, date of birth, spouse, children. Cole winced, and hoped Seliel hadn't read his middle name. He continued until he saw a paragraph he wasn't looking forward to.

 _Cause of Death_

Cole sighed and read:

 _Hit and run 'accident'. Driver: Luke Cunningham. Tracked down five miles from accident site. Arrested and charged with manslaughter. Refused to answer to anything but: The Lightning Phantom._

Cole gasped, and almost dropped the files. He looked at Seliel with wide eyes.

"Cunningham's file's in there as well." She said. "He disappeared age twelve after a nasty run in with some childhood bullies, and was spotted ten years later, getting beat up by some blonde woman. CCTV photo, on the file."

Cole hurridly flicked over the papers and saw the photo. The man was blonde and was indeed being beat up by a blonde woman who bore a striking resemblance to...

"It's her." He murmured. "Ennergise Gordon." Seliel frowned in confusion.

"Who?"

"I'll tell you later." Cole carried on reading. Cunningham had been missing for ages, been beat up by Jay's mum eight years before running over his own. It was a mystery for sure. Cunningham's involvement was definitely a key factor.

"Bloody hell!" Cole gasped. "Thanks so much Seliel! This will be great for our mystery!"

"Good." Seliel said. "Well, I better be going. Have fun solving your mystery." Cole nodded, and Seliel turned to leave. Cole turned to go back inside.

"Cole?" He turned. Seliel was looking over her shoulder at him.

"I'm sorry about your mother." Seliel's green eyes looked sad. "I know what it's like to lose a family."

"So am I." Cole told her. He turned and went back inside.

...

"Hey Kai, Lloyd, we've-" Kai and Lloyd jumped and span round, Lloyd facing Cole at a very direct angle. They had been training with staffs, which Lloyd had accidentally dropped.

"Hey Cole!" Kai said, grinning a big false grin. "What is it?"

"Err, I've got some info on the lightning phantom." Cole said. "I think we should review it together."

Sure." Lloyd said. "Go get Zane and Harumi and the others. We'll be down."

"Yeah..." Cole left and Lloyd let out a sigh of relief.

"Come on." He said, picking up his shirt and pulling it over his head. "Let's go see what Cole found out."

Kai watched him leave. "Yeah, that was close." He muttered, going over to his own shirt.

Lloyd stiffened a little. "I don't know what you're talking about." He said. "Come on, this is probably important." He left.

Kai shrugged. "Maybe." He muttered, and pulled his own shirt over his head.

...

"The Lightning Phantom is a man named Luke Cunningham." Cole told the ninja. Their reactions were as expected - shock, disbelief, wonder. Cole placed Cunningham's file on the table in front of his friends, and it was quickly snatched up by Nya.

"Where did you get this?" She asked suspiciously.

"Records office in the city." Cole told her. "I have a friend who works there."

"Hmm, friend eh?" Jay smiled. Everyone glared, and he ducked his head. This was serious.

"Cunningham disappeared back when he was twelve, after a nasty run in with some bullies. He briefly re-appeared ten years later, getting his ass kicked by someone whom I suspect is Jay's mum." He gestured to the photo, and everyone crowded round to see.

"I agree Cole, this is Ennergise Gordon." Zane told them. Jay looked down at the first photo he'd ever seen of the woman who gave birth to him. He whistled.

"My mum was BADASS!" He exclaimed. "Go on, what happened to Cunningham?"

"This was probably after he started work as the Lightning Phantom." Cole continued. "We still don't know much his obsession with the Master of Lightning, but he seems to want to track them down pretty badly. Cunningham was off the radar for another eight years before he ran over my - a woman." Cole felt himself clamming up, but took a deep breath and carried on.

"He was arrested for manslaughter, but managed to break free and disappeared again." Cole said. "He probably went to build that-"

"Here's the woman he killed!" Jay exclaimed. Cole felt his heart stop as the ninja crowded around Jay to see.

"Ruth. C. Brookestone, married, one child. Bloody hell, she died in front of her son!" Kai gasped. "Married to... his eyes widened and he looked up at Cole, who felt sick. "Lou Brookestone."

"That, that's your father, isn't it?" Harumi asked quietly. She didn't need to enquire further, her answer was on Cole's face, plain as day.

"Bloody hell, I had no idea your mother was dead!" Jay gasped.

"It doesn't matter." Cole told him. "It happened when I was nine, I hardly remember, can't we just-"

"But right in front of you too..." Nya noticed how red Cole's ears were, a bad sign. "Guys..."

"And she was killed by the same guy who took my mother, this has got to be connected!" Jay went on. Cole couldn't take it.

"No it doesn't!" Cole snapped. "I don't see why my effing mother matters so much, she's dead, Cunningham's alive, he ACCIDENTALLY killed her! It doesn't effing matter!" Cole stormed out, unable to keep the tears in his eyes any longer. The ninja were left staring after him.

"Should I..." Jay asked.

"No." Lloyd said. "Let me." He got up and left after Cole.

...

Cole sat on the edge of the floating ground, wiping his eyes furiously. He couldn't believe that, after years of keeping his secret, it was finally out there. He kicked the ground angrily.

"I would tell you to be careful, but since you have an elemental dragon and Airjitzu, I'm going to let it slide." Cole looked up to see Lloyd coming over to him. He scowled.

"What are you doing here?" He muttered.

"Well, when one of your friends rushes out of the room, upset because everyone found out that their mother died, you ignore the natural instinct to leave them be." Lloyd came and sat down next to Cole.

"Or, they decided to send you because your dad's dead." Cole said. "Well, we've all lost at least one parent in one way or another. I don't see why you're special."

"And I don't see why you are either." Lloyd said. "You knew about all our families, and what Jay's been going through these past few days... I know why you never told us Cole."

"And why was that?" Cole stared out over the desert.

"You didn't want us to think that you were weak, that your mother's death was some kind of chink in your armour that needs to be protected."

Cole was surprised, he hadn't even thought of that. "Yeah? What would you know about being weak? Everyone knows about your parents, and forgives you for it because you're the green ninja! The enormous destiny on your shoulders that you never chose, yeah, what hidden weaknesses do you have?"

Cole was being sarcastic, but Lloyd knew what he had to do. Calmly, he pulled his shirt over his head and showed Cole his back.

Cole gasped. "Bloody hell, how long has that BEEN THERE?!"

"It was Morro." Lloyd told him. "He did this while I was in his captivity. It didn't hurt while he... possessed me, but every time I lie down now..." He put his shirt back on and turned to face Cole, who was still shocked.

"We all have hidden secrets and weaknesses, Cole." He said. "And we all worry others will think that we're weak. I never intended to tell anyone about this, Kai found out by accident. I've kept it from everyone, because I feel like it's my burden to bear. And your mother is the same. Your secret's out, so I think I'll reveal mine."

Cole shook his head. "You don't have to do that Lloyd."

"Yes I do Cole. It's not healthy to keep this to ourselves."

Cole smiled. "Thanks Lloyd."

"Come on." The green ninja said, standing up. "I believe we have a date with the Lightning Phantom."


	10. The Masters of the Realms

**Whoa, 576 views! And that number is still climbing every day! I just want to thank each and every one of you for reading. Honorary shoutout to imacrazyninjagofan. I like the new name! I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the story. Drive safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and wear a coat in cold weather. Enjoy! :)**

Lloyd, Cole, Jay, Harumi, Nya, Zane and Kai stood in front of the building where it had all began. Where they would end it all. Today.

"This was a short mission." Cole sighed.

"Yes, we solved this one quickly." Harumi agreed.

"Uh-hu." Jay muttered. The ninja were silent for another moment.

"Come on guys." Lloyd pulled his ninja mask over his face. "Routine kidnapping of a villain, and I promise not to get kidnapped again this time." They laughed, and the rest of the team pulled up their ninja masks, because that was what they were. A team.

BANG!

No one picked up Kai on his 'loud entrance' this time. The ninja were faced with the prison corridor this time, the holes Kai had cut, still visible. The ninja moved on in silence, Lloyd leading with Kai at his side, Jay and Cole bringing up the rear, Zane and the girls in the middle. They moved silently through dark corridors until, after a sharp left turn brought them out into a huge ampetheater space, filled with curious tables and a huge lightning bolt painted on the far wall.

"Me and Jay came here before." Cole said, frowning. His eyes located the small balcony, there was no one there now. "Someone keep an eye on that balcony, if you see someone up there, duck."

"Why?" Zane asked.

"Trust me, if you don't, it really hurts!" Jay motioned at his eyes, which were still bruised. The ninja spread out and examined the tables.

"What the hell..." Nya murmured.

"Jay thinks they're torture devices." Cole told the others.

"I'm not so sure." Harumi said. "There doesn't appear to be anything threatening about them, and many hospitals dealing with criminals use these heavy leather straps."

So, what are you saying?" Nya asked.

"I think the Lightning Phantom takes good care of his prisoners." Harumi replied. "Only, why so many?" No one had an answer, so they carried on examining the beds in silence.

"Do you think the Lightning Phantom knows we're here?" Jay asked. "I mean, we could lay a trap for the phantom..."

"I thought we agreed the phantom was Cunningham?" Kai asked from the other side of the room. He leaned against the brick wall for a moment, and gave a yell of surprise as he almost fell through it.

"What is it Kai?" Lloyd called, looking up, and gasped. "What the hell?" The ninja crowded round Kai, who had revealed a secret room.

"You two really should have looked around this place a bit more!" Zane told Jay and Cole as the ninja crowded in. It was a small space, mostly filled with crates and framed photos.

"Who are these guys?" Jay wondered aloud, looking a framed black and white photograph of several people, dressed identically and unsmiling.

"Let me look." Cole came over and glanced at it. He gave a small laugh. "Look at what they're wearing!"

"Tracksuits, yeah I know- Hey, my symbol AGAIN!" Jay threw the photograph down in disgust.

"Give me that!" Lloyd said, picking up the photo and studying it. "Look who's in front!" He said, and the rest of the ninja crowded round.

"The Lightning Phantom." Harumi said. "Cunningham." The ninja nodded.

"Hey, look at this!" Kai had forced one of crates open with some small flames, and was holding up a jumpsuit type outfit, with a grey, leather type jacket and trousers. There was a white shirt underneath, thick black boots, and lightning bolts stitched onto the lapels.

"Their uniform." Zane confirmed, and the others nodded. "Kai, turn it over a second."

Confused, Kai turned the uniform onto it's back, where there was more embroidery. A big lightning bolt, eight little circles either side of it, in a long, vertical line.

"A logo?" Nya exclaimed. "Hold on a minute." She dashed into the main ampetheater, and came back a few moments later.

"That big lightning bolt," Nya said, breathless. "It's not just random, it's their symbol. We can't see it very clearly, but those little circles are carved into the stone."

"Good work Nya." Lloyd told her. "But a symbol for what? I thought it was just Cunningham acting alone."

"So did I." Jay agreed, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Well, evidently not." Cole sighed. "Looks like this mystery isn't quite cracked yet."

"Erm, I have a question." Harumi said, and everyone turned in her direction. The princess was examining some words written so small that no one had noticed them before. "What is 'The Masters of the Realms'?"

"Huh?" Jay said, and gave a yell as he was suddenly dragged through the doorway.


	11. The Lightning Phantom

**Happy Valentine's day for yesterday of today or whenever (you know, time difference). Yeah, I've got a hot date later tonight... I'm just kidding, I'm single and watching TV. I haven't had any new reviews for the last chapter yet, but I was desperate to get this story to the highest tension point possible, so... yeah. Drive safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and NEVER EAT PIZZA WITH A KNIFE AND FORK! IT'S JUST WRONG, OK? Enjoy :)**

"Jay!" Nya screamed, and the ninja dashed to the door. Jay was there, held in the iron tight grip of...

"The Lightning Phantom!" Kai groaned. Jay struggled against his captor, whose hand was over his mouth.

"After a centaury, finally. The Master of Lightning!" The Lightning Phantom exclaimed. They sounded pleased.

"Put him DOWN!" Cole yelled. "Or we will MURDER YOU!"

The Lightning Phantom laughed. "I'm not afraid of you, ninja!" The Lightning Phantom grabbed a large, iron bat from the floor and hit Jay over the head with it. He went limp at once.

"Monster!" Nya screamed, and tried to launch herself at the phantom, but Kai and Cole grabbed her and held her back.

"We don't want to fight you." Lloyd said, stepping forwards, holding out his hands. "We just want our friend back, and to ask you some stuff, Mr Cunningham?"

The Lightning Phantom laughed again. "Sorry ninja. But I'm keeping hold of this one!" Lloyd frowned.

"Six against one!" Harumi smiled, though she was terrified. "Not very good odds, are they?"

"I'll live." The Lightning Phantom told her. "But the same cannot be said for you!" The ninja ran to attack, but the Lightning Phantom was fast. With one swift movement, they kicked Zane's legs out from under him, and hit Lloyd hard in the back with the iron bat. The green ninja gave a scream on pain and fell onto all fours.

"Lloyd!" Kai gasped, running to his friend.

"I'm fine Kai!" Lloyd gasped, picking himself up. He stumbled, and Kai saw a red patch spreading on his back.

"It opened your wound!" Kai gasped. Lloyd shrugged him off angrily.

"It's an old wound, Kai! I don't need protecting all the time!" He pulled his sword from his belt and rushed at the Lightning Phantom.

Harumi should have been right, six against one was brilliant odds for them, but the Lightning Phantom was a skilled fighter and, even with only one hand and an iron bat, was putting up a good fight. They were battling Zane, Cole and Nya all at once, and no one seemed ready to give in. Kai was helping Lloyd get back to the battle and Harumi was on the side-lines, wondering whether to join in or not. She tried to approach the battle, sword in hand, but ducked away again, feeling foolish. She was stuck procrastinating. Angry, she stamped her foot. How would she ever count as a ninja if she couldn't join in a battle?

"Harumi, get down!" She heard a shout, Lloyd. Turning in his direction, Harumi gasped as a large, iron bar swung to the ceiling towards her face. She gave a scream, there was no time to move...

Harumi was knocked by the floor by a green blur. It was Lloyd. He flattened her to the floor so the bar swung over them, just scraping the top of Lloyd's back. He gave an agonised gasp.

"Are you alright?" Harumi exclaimed, worried. He rolled himself off her, and gave another cry of pain as his back hit the concrete floor.

"I'm fine!" He told her through gritted teeth.

"Are you sure? You don't look alright." Harumi helped him up and gasped at the bloodstains on the floor. "Lloyd..."

"It's fine!" The green ninja told her, though he wasn't as light on his feet as he could have been. The pair turned to see the Lightning Phantom leap up ridiculously high and pulled on a wire hanging from the ceiling. A white cloud descended on the ampetheater.

"Oh no!" Cole gasped as he thudded to the ground.

"Sleeping gas!" Kai coughed, before he collapsed too.

Lloyd thudded onto his back, but was unconscious before he could realise the pain he was in.

The last thing Nya saw before she blacked out was the Lightning Phantom, slipping away, Jay on their back.

...

"You did well, spy." The Lightning Phantom told Cliff Gordon, who sighed.

"I told you not to call me that!" He said, though it was a feeble protest. "Will you need me any longer?"

"Perhaps not." The Lightning Phantom told him. "But if I need you in the future, you will know." They turned to leave.

"Where is my son?" Cliff asked. "Is he alright?"

"You know that I will not harm him." The Lightning Phantom said. "Intentionally."

...

 **...Twenty Years Earlier...**

"Get your FILTHY hands OFF ME!" Ennergise screamed. She had been knocked out during the fight, and awoken while the masked villain was chaining her to the wall. The masked person shook their head and stepped back while Ennergise rattled her chains and screamed.

"No one is coming for you." The masked person said. "So you might as well shut up."

"What do you want from me?!" Ennergise cried.

"Nothing at the moment." The masked person said. "But later on, you could become rather useful..."

Ennergise screamed. "Cliff! Jayden! Samantha!"

 **...Present Day...**

Kai groaned and his eyes flickered open. His vision was blurred and there was a ringing in his ears. Slowly, he sat up, and was almost sick.

"Hello?" He murmured, then louder. "Hello?"

"Kai!" Came a happy voice. Kai turned his head to the source of the noise.

"Nya?" He exclaimed. His sister was bent over a long lump which Kai couldn't make out in the darkness

"Give me a hand, big brother." Nya called softly. "I woke up and saw Zane like this." She gestured to lump which she was bent over. Kai crept forwards and saw the unconscious nindroid.

"Zane!" He gasped, and tried to scurry forwards, but he was sharply cut off by chains attached to his wrists that he hadn't noticed before. he gave a short cry of pain.

"Are you alright Kai?" Nya asked. He nodded.

"Yeah, but I'm chained." He told her.

"So am I." Nya replied, shaking her own chains. "But Zane's nearer to me, so I can reach."

"Where's everyone else?" Kai asked.

"In here with us." Nya told him. As if to back her up, there came a groan to Kai's right, and Cole sat himself up.

"What the hell?" He groaned. As if on cue, Harumi sat up as well.

"Where am I?" She wondered aloud.

"In jail with us." Nya told her. "Are we all here?"

"I think so." Cole said. "Wait, where's Lloyd and Jay?"

"I'm here!" Came Lloyd's voice. Both Kai and Harumi gave audible sighs of relief, and got as close as they could to the green ninja. Kai managed to get the nearest before his chains cut him off.

"Vengestone." He said. "Damn it!"

"I'm alright Kai." Lloyd said. He was sprawled on his stomach, and sat himself up. He gave a moan of pain.

"Lloyd." Kai said. "I need to look at your... wound."

"No, I'm fine." Lloyd told him, almost sitting up. His back brushed the wall and he gave another gasp of pain.

"Lloyd, remember what you told me." Cole said quietly. "It's alright to have a weakness."

Lloyd sighed. "Do it Kai. How bad is it?"

Kai shuffled forwards and opened Lloyd's ninja suit at the back. He gasped at the sight of the blood.

"We need to get back to headquarters." He told the others. "This is bad."

"I'm sure it is, because it KILLS!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"So if Lloyd's here," Nya wondered aloud. "Where's Jay?"

...

Jay groaned and opened his eyes. "My head..." He moaned. The first thing he saw was the Lightning Phantom.

"You!" He cried, and tried to launch himself at the Lightning Phantom, but was stopped by a sudden pain in his wrists. He was cuffed by his wrists to a huge machine.

"What is this?" He demanded. The Lightning Phantom laughed.

"After decades of planning, we have you finally!" They declared with a smile.

"We, who's we?" Jay asked. "Do you mean 'The Masters of the Realms'?"

"Clever boy." The Lightning Phantom told him. "They will be delighted to have your power at last!"

"So that was what you wanted all along?" Jay exclaimed. "To steal my power!"

"Oh it's not stealing," The Lightning Phantom said, removing their mask. Jay gasped, and shook his head, eyes filled with fear. "If it was mine to begin with."

"Brother." Said Seliel.


	12. Two stories of a Past

**Oooh, last chapter. What a reveal indeed! I hope you enjoy the details to this little surprise (hehehe). Honorary shoutout goes to MasterofCupcakes again, for being such an amazing reviewer and supporter for all this week (holy Christ, just one week!). Yeah, I hope you like it! Drive safe, hang your coat up, tuck your kids into bed and remember the five second rule! Enjoy! :)**

"Lloyd, what the hell happened?" Nya exclaimed, getting as close as she could to her friend. Kai was attempting to bandage the green ninja's back with torn up pieces of his own ninja suit, but because of limited reach and rough material, he was getting nowhere.

"Morro did it, ages ago." Lloyd said through gritted teeth. "Kai and Cole are the only- ARRGH, KAI!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Kai gasped, snatching his hand back. "I'm making a right pig's-ear out of this!"

"Let me." Harumi said softly. Kai knew he had no choice. so handed the strips of fabric to Lloyd, who shuffled towards the princess as far as his chains would allow and passed her the material. Harumi cast it aside.

"That won't work." She told Kai. "Too raged. But, in case of injury, I always brought these." She reached inside her sleeve and brought out a role of bandages.

"Why didn't you say so!" Cole exclaimed. "Watching Kai, the worst medic in the world."

"Hey!" The Master of Fire snapped. Harumi wasn't listening, she unrolled the bandages and tore a strip off.

"I'll be as gentle as I can." She told Lloyd in what she hoped was a reassuring voice.

"Just do it!" Lloyd told her, gripping his chains, his teeth gritted together. Harumi expertly wound the bandages around the angry wound. Lloyd gave a small gasp of relief, and Harumi sat back once she had finished.

"Better?" She asked. Lloyd nodded.

"Thanks..." Lloyd trailed off and his head slumped to the floor. The ninja looked curiously at Harumi.

"They were soaked in sedative." Harumi said quietly. "They're meant to help with the pain."

Cole laughed. "Sly fox!" He exclaimed. "Don't worry, he'll be alright. You're good with the medicine, unlike someone!" He looked at Kai, who scowled.

"It's the only thing I seem to be good with on this team." Harumi sighed. "I can't fight or protect and I'm not even that good at figuring things out!" She looked at the ground. "Maybe I should just leave you guys." She sighed.

"No way!" Kai exclaimed, and the other ninja were quick to disagree.

"You're a great asset to the team." Nya told the princess. "You're brave, like us, smart like us, well, most of us,(she shot a look at Kai, grinning) and noble like us. Being a ninja isn't about the fighting of the skills. It's about who you are and if someone among us thinks you're worthy. Sensei Wu thought we were all worthy, and now our new leader, Lloyd, in turn thought you were worthy. He wouldn't have let you if he didn't think you had it in you."

Harumi gave an embarrassed grin. "Really?" She asked.

"Of course! Do I look like a liar to you sister?"

...

"Sister!" Jay gasped. "What the hell, you're not my sister!"

"Aren't I?" Seliel asked casually, rubbing at her left eyebrow. Some of it came away just like Jay and Cliff's eyebrows. The Gordon family birthmark.

"My real name is Samantha Gordon." Seliel told the stupefied Jay. "I was born two years before you, and I am the rightful Master of Lightning!"

"Then how come you didn't get the gi?" Jay asked defiantly, though he was still scared and shocked out of his mind.

"That's a long story." Seliel, or Samantha, said. "But we have time before 'they' arrive. Do you want to hear it?"

Jay didn't want to know who 'they' were, but he had the feeling he would soon find out. He took a deep breath. "Lay it on me." He told her.

...

"Everyone, quiet!" Cole suddenly gasped.

"What?" Kai asked.

"I hear something." The Master of Earth replied. The ninja went silent. There it was again, faint speech

"Hello? Is anyone there?" It sounded like the person was whispering.

"Jay?" Nya asked eagerly, looking around. It did sound a lot like Jay.

"No Nya, I don't think it is..." Cole looked up and saw a gap in the wall, high above the ceiling. This was where the voice was coming from.

"Hello?" He called back. "Are you a prisoner too?"

"Yeah, oh bloody HELL, it's been so long since I heard another human voice!" The person sounded relieved and like Jay, only not like Jay. Kai frowned. He knew that voice...

"Nya!" Kai exclaimed. "Remember when we went back in time when we lost Master Wu? That voice, I heard it..."

"The Master of Lightning!" Nya gasped. "Jay's mum, Ennergise!"

"That's me." The voice replied. "How do you know me?"

"Mrs Gordon, bloody hell!" Cole exclaimed. "We know your son, Jay, uh, Jayden-"

"Jayden!" Ennergise exclaimed. "He's alright? He's, he's grown up?"

"Yeah, we're his friends." Kai replied, trying to stand, but not quite making it because of the chains. "Fellow elemental masters. I'm-"

"I know who you are." Ennergise said. "You must be Kai, you sound just like Ray did when he was younger."

"Yeah, how do you know me?" Kai asked, confused.

"Me and Maya were always good friends, I met your father through her, and you were born a year before my second child-"

"Wait, a second child?!" Harumi gasped. The other ninja gasped as well.

"Jay has a sibling?" Nya spluttered.

"Yes." Ennergise sounded confused. "Samantha. She's a year older than Kai. Why, what's happened to my family? Cliff, Jayden, Samantha, are they alright?"

"Cliff is fine, we've never heard of Samantha, and Jay..." Cole gulped. "I'm sure he's fine. But, do you know what happened here, why we're here, who the Lightning Phantom is? It could help us figure this all out."

"I know a great deal." Ennergise said quietly. "It's a long story, filled with evil and betrayal."

"Well, could you make it short?" Kai asked. "We need to get out of here."

"As you wish." Ennergise said. "As I was told, it started like this..."

...

"Our mother was the Master of Lightning." Seliel began. "And I guess she must have known she wouldn't be forever, but unlike your fellow ninja's parents, she didn't want to give it up."

"Give it up?" Jay asked, his curiosity trumping his fear. "What do you mean, give it up?"

"Don't you know?" Seliel frowned. "When an elemental master has kids, their element is almost always transferred to that child. Sometimes they seem to skip a generation, but the child has the element, it just lies dormant and unusable inside the child until being unlocked in a fresh new body." She laughed at Jay's bewildered face. "Well, I suppose if our family had stuck together, you would know more about yourself. Had proper training, rather than relying on an elemental weapon." She grinned. It was a joyless grin.

"Our mother wanted to have children with her new actor husband, but, being the selfish woman she was," Seliel paused to see Jay's reaction. He didn't let himself show emotion. "She didn't want to give up her power. So she sought out a solution, a special tea, which guaranteed that the elemental master would keep their element, rather than pass it down. Her friends all advised her against it, but she didn't listen, and nine months later, I was born. Samantha Roberta Gordon. Powerless."

...

"The Masters of the Realms." Ennergise began. "They are the reason that we're here, the reason the Lightning Phantom exists."

"We know that name." Harumi said. "They were, some kind of cult, weren't they?"

"Oh, they were more than just a cult." Ennergise sighed. "They were an extremist group, started more than one-hundred years ago, when the elemental masters were just starting to come forward with their powers. They were a group of around twenty individuals, who knew about the sixteen realms. In a way, they were a cult, because they believed that the realms should be shared, all together so everyone could experience everything."

"That's a crazy idea!" Cole exclaimed.

"Yes, it is." Ennergise agreed. "But these people took their belief to an extreme level. They set about finding a way to make it happen. They did years and years worth of research and experimentation, and eventually, built a machine which would generate a split down the quantum wall between the realms. But there was one thing missing." Ennergise paused and sighed. "Power."

...

"I was born and our little family was happy for a while." Seliel told Jay. "I never knew what our mother was, never knew what I had been cheated out of. But then, when I was a toddler, you were born. And everything changed."

"I know older siblings are meant to get jealous, but really? This is kind of extreme!" Jay said, trying to laugh. Seliel sighed and shook her head.

"You really don't get it, do you?" She laughed herself. "I'm not alone in this, Jayden. I'm not the mastermind here."

"The who is?" Jay demanded. Seliel shook her head again.

"Not who IS." She said. "Who ARE." She went over to one of the tables.

"There is magic here, from other realms." She told Jay, who, strained against his chains. "All around this building. It's always been here, since the beginning. It was just protected, until I wanted it to be found." She laid her hand above the table, it seemed to be resting on something, but there was nothing there. "There's magic over here as well, stronger, even more undetectable."

"What?" Jay asked, suddenly afraid. "What's on that table?"

"Not what." Seliel grasped something and lifted. "Who."

Jay saw what was on the table and screamed.

...

"The Masters of the Realms knew no amount of ordinary electricity could gather enough power in order to work their machine." Ennergise told the ninja, who listened in silence, except for Lloyd and Zane, who were still unconscious. "What they needed was magic electricity, elemental electricity. And of course with the elemental masters emerging from secrecy, they went straight after the elemental Master of Lightning."

"You?" Harumi asked. Ennergise gave a short laugh.

"How old do you think I am? No, this was my great grandfather, Enoch Lightwood. At first, they were polite. They sent a letter requesting to borrow his element. But Enoch was having none of it. He wrote back telling them that the machine would drain his element, quite possibly killing him, and that bringing the realms together was dangerous. Of course they didn't listen. They decided, if he wasn't going to give his power willingly, they were going to have to take it. So one of their number donned a mask and went after him. I'm sure you can all guess which name they chose to go by."

"The Lightning Phantom!" The ninja groaned simultaneously.

...

"WHO THE HELL IS THAT GUY!" Jay gasped. On the table, strapped in and... unconscious, was an old man.

"Him, I'm not sure." Seliel dropped the cover and the man vanished from sight. "I can't remember all the names, but I've set the magic to wake them up in a hour or so. I've got plenty of time to finish the story." She looked at Jay. He sighed.

"Go on!" He groaned. He wasn't sure if he could take many more surprises today.

"After our mother was taken and you disappeared, our father became practically useless." Seliel continued. He carried on acting, all the Starfarer movies, various romcoms, but at home... he was an awful father." All of Seliel's sneery demeanour has vanished in an instant, and for a moment, she was just like Jay. A scared child.

"He wasn't abusive or anything." Seliel wasn't looking at Jay, she was looking past him, a thousand miles away, back in her past. "He was just... distant. Always pining for his wife and his perfect Master of Lightning son!" She sighed. "I was found by the Lightning Phantom when I was just ten years old, and by then, I was ready to quit. People say a celebrity parentage is a hard life, well mine was extra hard."

"Wait, the Lightning Phantom isn't you!" Jay was sick of all this mystery. He just wanted answers and he wanted them straight.

 **That was a long one, and the explanation is so long I've had to split it with two chapters. Whatever :)**


	13. Vengestone Chains

**Yeah, I know the last chapter was too long and complicated. But I'll lay out the story for you at the end of this one, so if you're lazy, head on down to the bottom. But if you want to follow the story like I would, brace yourself. Drive safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and always check which toilet you're walking into. Enjoy! :)**

"The Lightning Phantom was started over a hundred years ago, the Lightning Phantom kidnapped our mother when I was two years old, of course, there's more than one!" Seliel told Jay, who shrugged.

"So... Cunningham?" Seliel laughed.

"Cunningham was a fool." She said. "There have been several Lightning Phantoms over the years, he was the second to last. I am the current Lightning Phantom, the one who kidnapped your green friend and gave you those lovely black eyes." She smiled, and Jay scowled.

"Cunningham was bullied often as a child, and after a nasty encounter, he was almost drowned in a river. Fortunately, an old man walking his dog came by and was able to save him. This man was thought to be a kidnapper, as the bullies reported seeing Cunningham walking away with him, and Cunningham was never seen again. In reality, the old man was the previous Lightning Phantom, and was getting sick of his job, like most do. He recruited the twelve year old Cunningham, the youngest Lightning Phantom of his time. I overtook him in that record. Cunningham was made the new Lightning Phantom, and was awful at his job. He attempted to apprehend the Master of Lightning, our mother by then, only once, and I assume you know how miserably he failed." Jay couldn't help but give a small laugh, and Seliel laughed with him. For a moment it was like two siblings sharing a laugh normally, before they collected themselves.

"Why did he kill Cole's mum?" Jay asked. "Where does she fit into this?"

Seliel shrugged. "I don't know. It was probably an accident, and if it was personal, he never told me why. Anyway, Cunningham escaped from jail and, years later, got me to take over." She frowned. "He made the right choice. I got to meet my mother, get revenge on my brother and became a master to my father!" She laughed.

"Wait, our father?" Jay gasped. "What did you do?!" He demanded.

"Oh, did he not tell you?" Seliel asked, grinning maliciously. "Dear old dad was a spy, I recruited him after I captured him and got him to fake his death. I only let you take him when I figured he was loyal enough. Or the blackmail was working."

"W, what blackmail?" Jay gasped, still astounded that his father had spied on him for Seliel.

"Our mother." Seliel's malicious smile was back again. "She's here in the building too."

...

"The Lightning Phantom's identity has been ever-changing throughout the years." Ennergise told the ninja. "As has the Master of Lightning's. Both have hunted each other throughout the ages. I knew that I had to put a stop to it, to take the Lightning element to my grave with me. So when I had my first child, I used a special tea in order to keep my power. But when I had my second, I was unaware that the tea only worked once. Jayden was born with the element of Lightning, despite what I had done to protect it, to protect him." She sighed heavily, a sigh that the ninja could hear through the wall.

"After I was captured, I thought Jayden would be caught in days, but it seems he managed to disappear, thanks to whomever raised him, I assume. And you guys." Kai could hear the woman smiling, and smiled back, though she couldn't see it.

"But, if these crazy 'Masters of the Realms' started over a century ago," Nya asked, frowning. "How come they're still a threat? Did they pass down their identity too?"

"No." Ennergise replied. "You see, they had access to a wide range of protection magic from other realms. They used it on this building, but decided, the cause was all they lived for. They didn't need to be alive while the Lightning Phantom captured the Master of Lightning. So..." She paused.

"It's like they froze their bodies outside of time some years after the Lightning Phantom began." She said. "They lie in this building now, in a coma of sorts, never aging, waiting to be re-awoken so they can 'complete their destiny'."

"And now they have Jay." Cole said. He felt sick, if the realms were brought together, it would be a disaster. "We need to get out of here, all of us. We need to stop the Lightning Phantom from waking the cultists."

"Agreed." Harumi told him. "But we're chained with Vengestone, we're stuck."

"Not quite." Came Ennergise's voice. "I've heard your conversations earlier, you have five elemental masters in there, and someone else. Someone whom Vengestone has no effect on."

"I'm still chained." Harumi told her.

"No, you don't understand." Ennergise told her, a hint of excitement in her voice. "It's a little known fact, but Vengestone was built specifically to stop elemental powers. To those who have never possessed elemental ability, it isn't as strong." Everyone looked at Harumi.

"Come on Rumi." Nya gave an encouraging smile. "You have to try."

Harumi took a deep breath. 'I can do this'. She thought to herself. 'Jay needs you, Ninjago needs you. Are you a ninja or are you a NINJA!'.

Harumi leaned on her chains as hard as she could, pulling, hurting her wrists, but scarcely noticing because she was so determined. 'Ninja never quit'. She thought to herself, and felt something give. She ended up almost hitting her head on Zane's metal body, but she was free.

"Yes!" Kai gasped. "Come on, free Cole and then we can get down to business!"

...

"Come on, revenge never solved anything!" Jay pleaded with Seliel, but she remained firm.

"A few more minutes." She muttered to herself.

"And why do you care about these people anyway? Why do they care about me?"

"You'll find out." Seliel muttered. "Come on, I'm getting bored!"

"Cole wouldn't want you to do this!" Jay gasped. Seliel turned.

"He'll find out anyway, and he won't forgive." She told Jay. "I've admitted it to myself and come to terms with it - my relationship with Cole was doomed from the start!"

"It doesn't have to be!" Reasoned Jay. "Look what happened with Lloyd, he used to be our enemy, now he's our leader-"

"Lloyd was your enemy for a week, I kidnapped and almost killed him." Seliel said.

"But-" Seliel stiffened and Jay gasped as he saw it. The leather straps on the tables/beds were coming undone.

"Shit!" Jay cried, and struggled against his chains. But it was too late. Twenty or so people were coming visible ontop of them, getting off, coming over. Jay felt tears prick his eyes. He didn't want to die. Not like this.

"Lightning Phantom." Came the voice of a man, looking to be in his late thirties. He had an expressionless face and a voice that gave Jay the creeps.

"Yeah, that's me." Seliel said. "One Master of Lightning." She gestured to Jay as casually as if he were a basket of fruit.

"How can you do this!" Jay screamed. "I'm your brother!"

"Family is of no regard here, boy." Said another person, Jay had no idea who, the people who had been in a coma for decades were now flocking around him like he was some kind of zoo spectacle.

"Your sacrifice will be noble to our cause." Said another person. Jay couldn't help himself. He screamed.

 **OK, as promised, here's a summary of what the hell is going on with the Masters of the Realms and the Lightning Phantom. Hope it straightens some things out. ;)**

 **Over a century ago, the elemental masters began to come forward with their powers. At the same time, a group of about twenty people discovered the sixteen realms and decided that the realms should be brought together into one land. After years of experiments and research, they created a machine which could bring down the quantum wall between their worlds. This machine required a great amount of power in order to work, elemental power, electricity. The people (who had named themselves the Masters of the Realms) sent a letter to Enoch Lightwood, the current Master of Lightning. Enoch declined and told the Masters of the Realms draining his element could kill him, and that bringing the realms together was a crazy idea. The Masters of the Realms weren't prepared to give up, so a member took up the role of the Lightning Phantom and went to hunt the Master of Lightning. After many years, the Lightning Phantom was getting nowhere, so the Masters of the Realms used powerful magic from other realms to, A: Hide their base in plain sight so it wouldn't be discovered, and B: put themselves in magical comas so they would live to carry out their cause. Over a hundred years passed, and the identity of the Lightning Phantom was changed a few times as they aged. The Master of Lightning's identity changed also. Luke Cunningham was a twelve year old boy, who was frequently bullied by his peers. After a group of bullies tried to drown him, Cunningham was saved by an old man, the current Lightning Phantom. The man was sick of his role, and gave it to Cunningham, who was mentally damaged and hungry for revenge. Cunningham never went home, and started hunting the young Master of Lightning immediately. Ennergise Lightwood was tracked down by Cunningham ten years later, and Cunningham tried to apprehend her. He failed and disappeared off the radar for many more years. Ennergise got married to Cliff Gordon, but knew she needed to let the Lightning element die out with her, so stopped it from being passed on to her daughter, Samantha. Unfortunately, she made a mistake, and the element of Lightning was passed on to her son, Jayden. Ennergise and her husband were unaware of this, but Cunningham heard of their child, and assumed that there was a new Master of Lightning. He went to their seaside mansion and attempted to kidnap Jayden. Ennergise defended her son while Cliff took him away. Samantha was presumably sleeping. Ennergise was captured by Cunningham and Jayden disappeared. Seven years later, Cunningham ran over Ruth Brookestone for unknown reasons and was taken to jail, but escaped. Soon after, he decided to give up being the Lightning Phantom, and gave the job to Jayden's sister, Samantha, who left home, dyed her hair and changed her name to Seliel. Cunningham told her all about the brother she had never known, and Seliel became bent on revenge. She stalked her brother and captured her father, all in hope of reawakening the Masters of the Realms and being known as the Lightning Phantom who succeeded,.**

 **Yeah, that was really long. I don't know where I get my ideas!**


	14. Piece of Cake

**It's been a while, I know (not that long, but a couple of days is a long time for me) but we're back with another chapter! Honorary shoutout to MasterofCupcakes, great username there! Drive Safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and book hotels at least three days in advance. Enjoy :)**

The day had started off hopeful, but the ninja had been worn down to pure determination. Only Kai, Harumi, Nya and Cole were left to rescue Jay. Ennergise wasn't in very good fighting condition, and had agreed to look after Zane and Lloyd, and get them out of harm's way if something occurred.

"Where will they be?" Nya asked, tightening her grip on her katana

"Ampetheater." Cole answered. "Come on, this way." The ninja followed him. They knew what they were up against now, they knew the army would only be human. It would be a piece of cake. Should be a piece of cake. Possibly could be a piece of cake. They hoped it was a piece of cake.

"Are we nearly there?" Harumi asked nervously. Cole stood in the middle of the corridor, looking around.

"I, I think so." He said, but he didn't sound sure.

"You idiot, you got us lost!" Kai exclaimed angrily. Cole gave a nearby wall a kick. It cracked.

"I'd like to see you do any better!" He snapped.

"If you didn't know where we were going, you shouldn't have led us!" Nya told him. Harumi couldn't bear to see her fellow ninja argue, not when there was work to be done.

"Stop it!" She cried. Everyone looked round in shock. "We can't afford to bicker over whose fault it is!" Harumi told them. "Jay needs our help, we just need to get through this maze building and help him as quick as we can!"

Harumi was a little nervous she had spoken out of place, but Nya smiled.

"Well said sister." She told Harumi. She then turned to the other ninja. "Come on guys, we haven't got time for stumbling around." She pointed to the crack Cole had made in the wall. "See how flimsy these walls are?" She turned to her brother. "Reckon you can make another loud entrance, Kai?"

...

Jay couldn't believe the situation. Half an hour ago, he had been fighting with his team, secure, happy, a girlfriend, friends, safe. Now he had discovered his father was a traitor, he had a secret older sister out to get him, and twenty odd adults seemed to admire him like a prize specimen. Though ninja never quit, Jay had given up struggling. These chains would not break.

"Lightning Phantom, you shall be rewarded." A woman said to Seliel, who seemed to be basking in praise.

"Well cheers." Seliel smiled.

"What is your name and generation?" Another asked.

"Born Samantha Gordon, I now go by Seliel." Seliel told them. "I think I'm the... sixth Lightning Phantom."

"And his generation?" The person gestured to Jay.

"I dunno, fifth? Son of Ennergise Gordon, formerly Ennergise Lightwood." Seliel told them. "Can we hurry this up, I have prisoners in other parts of the building that I don't want to escape." Jay smiled. If the ninja were still here, they would save him in time. Wouldn't they?

"Oh, we've been waiting for over a hundred years." A woman said. "We don't intend to wait any longer. We just need to change into ceremonial robes. The adults all turned and marched in unison into the secret room. Seliel rolled her eyes.

"Old people!" She exclaimed to Jay, coming over to him.

"I don't know what you expect from me!" Jay snapped. "A conversation? A game of cards? They'll take my power, possibly kill everyone in the realms and I'll die, our parents will die and you'll be alone again. Is that what you really want?"

"I'll always be alone." Seliel sighed, very quietly.

"No you won't!" Jay told her, seeing hope in the situation. "You've studied us ninja for ages, right? Well, you should see we're very forgiving, and famous for taking in outsiders. Like Lloyd. You said you weren't like him, but if he's redeemable and forgivable, so are you. And you're my sister and Cole's girlfriend. We'll put in a good word for you.

Seliel looked shocked. "Really? After all I... you would do that?" She suddenly gathered herself, regaining her prestigious demeanour. "It doesn't matter, I don't want your pity. All I want is my revenge and, of course, the bloody cause." She bit her lip.

"It's not too late, Seliel. You can still get us out of this!" Seliel shook her head, looking fearful.

"It is too late, those chains, they're magic. They can't be undone or broken." Jay swore.

"I'll think of something, we'll think of something!" Jay pleaded. "We can do this together, brother and sister. The way it was meant to be." The Masters of the Realms were re-entering the room, all dressed identically in their ceremonial gear. "We still have a chance!"

"Lightning Phantom!" Called one man, addressing Seliel. "Come, we must operate the machine from a safe distance." With one last look at Jay, Seliel strode over to her fellow cultists. Jay felt desperation creep back into his veins. This couldn't be happening!

"I would have shared it, you know!" He called, unknowing if his words were true or not. "My power. I would have shared it if I could!" Seliel bit her lip but did not say anything.

"Is this really necessary?" She murmured to the man who seemed to be in charge. "I mean, won't this destroy Ninjago?"

"All realms must be equal!" The man replied, his eyes far away, a man past any reasoning or sanity. "We must do whatever we can for the cause!" Seliel sighed. She didn't want to watch what she had caused, her brother's destruction. She began to take steps back.

A cultist suddenly cocked their head as far off explosions began to sound. "What the..." The words were taken from everyone's mouth as the right wall exploded in a mass of dust and plaster.

"Oh yeah!" Jay yelled, happy and hopeful. "Go Ninja Go!"

The dust cleared. Nya, Kai, Cole and Harumi stood in a line, holding the sharpest of weapons, clad in maroon, red, black and jade green. The ninja.

"The Masters of the Realms." Harumi said, confidence in her realms. "Either you can choose to abandon your cause, or we will kick your asses!" It was clear she had gone through change.

"Couldn't have put it better myself!" Kai grinned. His eyes met Jay's, and Jay smiled to show he was alright.

"We will never abandon our cause!" A woman called from the mass of cultists, sounding angry. "How dare you get in the way of our mission for perfect equality!"

"Shut up!" Nya called back. The ninja prepared for battle. But Cole, Cole wasn't looking at his weapons or any of his fellow ninja. His mouth had fallen open as his eyes fell on one figure. Seliel.

"Seliel?" Cole gasped. "Wh, what are you doing here?" Seliel looked away.

"I'm sorry Cole." She murmured, and stood to the side a little so the ninja could see what she was wearing. All of their expressions suddenly mirrored Cole's.

"No!" Exclaimed Harumi.

"Can't be." Muttered Kai.

"It is." Jay called sadly from the other end of the room. Seliel looked anxiously at Cole. Cole didn't say anything, his expression had slid from shock into, not anger, sadness. Seliel had never felt so ashamed in her life.

"Wait, look at her eyebrow!" Harumi gasped, and three more pairs of eyes swivelled to Seliel's face. She didn't try to hide it.

"Holy crap!" Nya gasped. "Samantha Gordon!"

"Yeah, that's my sister." Jay said. "Now hurry up and do whatever you're going to do, before I get blown up!"

"Never!" Cried a cultist member, who jumped towards the door and reached for a leaver. "The realms will be united, we will have our goal!"


	15. No!

**Ahoy-hoy guys! We're back, ready to finish the ninja's battle (I think)! Honorary shoutout to Loki God of Evil, hello again! Drive safe, hang your coat up, tuck your kids into bed and say a prayer for those involved in the Florida school shootings. They didn't deserve it.**

 **Enjoy! :)**

"No!" Gasped Kai, the realms couldn't brought together, it would destroy Ninjago, destroy every realm...

"No!" Exclaimed Harumi, she couldn't believe this was happening, this couldn't happen...

"No!" Screamed Nya, her boyfriend was tied to that machine, he would die, she couldn't let him die...

"No!" Whispered Cole, still stuck in disbelief that Seliel was the Lightning Phantom, she couldn't have betrayed him like this...

"No!" Cried Jay, struggling against his chains once more...

"No." Said a strong voice, and the man's arm was grabbed by another, clad in grey armour, lightning bolts embroided up the sleeves, but gripping this arm, preventing the leaver from being pulled, preventing the cause from being carried out.

Everyone gasped.

"Seliel!" Cole exclaimed. The Lightning Phantom's hand was firmly holding that of the cultist near the lever. He gasped in surprise.

"Lightning Phantom, what are you-"

"Cunt!" Seliel spat. "You can't bring the realms together, and you're not stealing my brother's power!"

"You're too late, Lightning Phantom!" A female cultist stepped forward. "There are many of us and only one of you. You have done your part, we need you no longer and nothing will stand in our way!" Seliel gasped in fear as the Masters of the Realms gathered around her, their expressions murder.

"Seliel!" Cole cried, and leapt into an Airjitzu spiral, soaring through the air and landing between Seliel and the cultists.

"Cole, what the-" Seliel gasped as the black ninja landed in front of her, wielding his scythe.

"I don't care if you're the Lightning Phantom, Seliel, I don't care how you hurt us. You've turned around, I know it. And..." Cole was nervous, but he knew he had to say it. "And there's a reason I fell in love with you."

Seliel gasped and smiled. "Thank you Cole." She said.

"Get those swords out!" Cols told her, swinging his scythe. "We're in trouble!"

...

As the ninja plunged into battle against the cultists, Nya ran over to Jay, who was kneeling by the machine, straining on his chains.

"Jay, don't worry, I'll get you out of here!" She gasped.

"It's no use, the chains don't break, Seli- Samantha told me so." Jay sighed.

"No, it can't, Jay..."

"Break the machine." Jay told her in a strong voice. "Smash it up, we can't let the realms be united."

"But these chains are tied to your elemental power, it could kill you!" Nya exclaimed. "Jay, I can't lose you."

"It's me or Ninjago, Nya." Jay stretched his hands and took hold of Nya's. "I know who I'd choose. And besides, I'll die anyway."

Nya took a deep breath and stood up. She went over round the side of the machine. It was a huge, oddly shaped thing with bits sticking off it, a very confusing contraption. Nya took it all in, and with one last look at the battle where her comrades were fighting just to give her this chance. Then she raised her katana high above her head and sliced off a chunk of the machine. The metal must have been soft, because it sliced right off, not what Nya had expected at all.

"Keep going!" Jay called, proving he had felt something. Nya bit her lip, but she had to do this.

...

Kai knew the rhythm of battle, knew the routine of war. It had been built into his bones through many years of fighting, snakes, skeletons, pirates. Step, swipe, chop, move on. But this time, the enemy was human, just like him. He was finding it hard to chop through it all, lose himself to the fight. He kicked one cultist, punched another, but didn't use his sword. Nothing that could kill.

The ground shook beneath their feet, causing most of the fighters to fall down. "What the heck was that?" Kai gasped, pushing himself onto his feet again.

"The machine!" A cultist screamed, and everyone turned. Nya had climbed on top of the contraption, and was tearing out wires, smashing the antique structure.

"Stop her!" A woman screamed, and the Masters of the Realms charged towards Kai's sister. Jay gave a surprised yelp and tried to dive out the way, but he was securely chained in the charging adult's way.

"Shit!" Cole gasped. "Hang on Jay!" He ran after them and did his Airjitzu to get over the crowd. He landed in front of Jay and held out his scythe as a block.

"Get back!" He yelled.

"Hang on Cole!" Came a female voice. Kai turned to see Seliel racing towards the crowd.

"What are you helping for?" He spat, standing in her way.

"Kai, I'm not going to fight you, I did wrong and-"

"You nearly KILLED my best friend!" Kai roared, swinging his sword at her. "Because of you he's back in the cell in bad shape!"

"Kai, stop!" Harumi came over, but Kai was still angry.

"I didn't mean, I was caught up in anger and jealousy. I made mistakes." Seliel sighed. "I know you'll never forgive me, but-"

"Shut up!" Kai screamed, and he could feel hot tears forming in his eyes and streaking down his cheeks. "I promised to look after him, and time and time again you hurt him! You don't understand, Lloyd needs me, and I need him, we..." Kai slowed for breath, panting. "We need each other. I need him, I can't look after him all the time, but..." He sighed. "I can try."

"Kai, calm down!" Harumi approached him gently. "I know you're upset, I know how you feel, I care about Lloyd too. But we can't take it out on everyone. Just, put down that sword." Kai hung his head and dropped his sword. A second later, he followed it and sat on the floor.

"Why?" He sighed. "Why us, why me, why him? Why anyone?"

...

"Nya, get down from there!" Jay screamed, as Cole struggled to hold off the cultists.

"Are you crazy, they'll murder me!" Nya called, clinging on to the machine for dear life.

"Right, sorry, didn't think, he he..." Jay sighed. It had been a long day.

"Stop!" A cultist screamed, pointing. "Don't pull that wire!"

"What, this?" Nya grinned, holding up a red wire.

"Don't pull it, just, no don't!"

Nya pulled. Every single cultist gasped, turned and ran.

"What's their problem?" Nya wondered aloud, and then the whole machine began to shake.

"You fool!" Called a single cultist from the door. "The whole thing's set to blow now! We have a minute before the whole building explodes!"


	16. Sacrifice

**Hey people, it's been a while. I've been recently made aware my use of curse words may be a bit too extreme, so I'm gonna try tone it down a little. Honorary shoutout to MasterofCupcakes. Drive safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and vote DangMattSmith for the shorty awards, best YouTube comedian! Enjoy :)**

Ennergise had a bad feeling about the current situation. She wanted to get out of here, but she knew she had to make sure Lloyd and Zane stayed safe. She sighed worriedly, hoping desperately that the ninja would be able to save her children. Samantha was so small the last time she had seen her, talking excitedly of being an astronaut. Ennergise had always smiled and hoped her daughter's dreams would be saved. And Jayden, he was so small, so innocent. Ennergise knew he would have been hunted by the Lightning Phantom for all of his short life. She hoped she would be able to see him again. So many children separated from their parents by evil and stupidity. She looked at the blonde boy on the floor. She could see who's son he was, hints of the young married couple in his face and hair. She also knew he would have had his father torn away. In fact, maybe all the ninja had suffered that fate one way or another.

"Ennergise!" Came a panicked gasp through the small radio pinned to Lloyd's hood. She grasped it.

"Yes?"

"Get out, now! The whole building's rigged to blow in a minute, run!" Ennergise dropped the radio in shock and immediately snapped into action. She had fought serpentine and other foes, she would manage hauling the two ninja to safety. Hopefully. Ennergise grabbed the nindroid, and knew immediately that she had miscalculated. Zane was a lot heavier than she had anticipated and Lloyd was a decently built young man. She would only be able to carry one.

"Damn it!" Ennergise screamed, frustrated. She couldn't choose, could she? It was inhumane, the choice, two boys she knew nothing about, and one would die in the blast. But maybe... yes, the robot was made of strong metal, he had a chance, right? And could be re-built?

Ennergise didn't have time. She dropped Zane to the ground, hauled Lloyd onto her back and set off at a run. She hadn't gone five steps when she almost collided with Kai.

"Oh good, you, wait, where's Zane?" The Master of Fire gasped.

"I could only carry one." Ennergise sighed. Kai whirled round without a moment's thought and sprinted into the jail cell again. He knew it would narrow down his chances of survival, but Zane had given his life for Kai before, and Kai wouldn't let him do it again. It wasn't the greatest moment to be realising this, but all of his brothers mattered and they were all equal. They would all get out of this. He hoped.

...

"Jay, no, I can't leave you!" Nya cried, tugging desperately at Jay's chains, attaching him to the machine, soon to become a bomb.

"Nya, listen to me, LISTEN!" Jay shouted over Nya's panicked words. "There may be a way for me to slow down the blast, the machine's tied to my elemental power. I could use it to slow the blast, maybe stop it all together!"

"But, that could kill you!" Nya gasped. "Jay-"

"Then I'll die anyway!" Jay yelled. Nya took a step back. "Nya, face it, I'm not going to survive this one, But you, you still have a chance!"

"Jay, I can't leave you to die alone." Nya told him, tears falling down her cheeks.

"As long as I remember you, I'll never be alone." Jay smiled to her, but tears were running down his cheeks also. "I love you Nya. I wish I could have married you."

"I love you too, Jay." Nya sobbed. She stood up and walked away slowly. Jay gave her one last naïve smile, then closed his eyes to concentrate. Nya felt a pull through the air, pulling on the energy all around, everything slowing a little. Biting her lip, she turned and ran.

...

"Get in the truck!" Cole screamed as he, Harumi and Seliel raced out of the building towards the vehicle they had taken to get here.

"Where's everyone else!" Harumi screamed, looking desperately back. "Lloyd, Zane, Kai, Lloyd..."

"Just run!" Seliel grabbed her arm and practically threw her into the back of the truck as Cole jumped into the front and started the engine. "They'll come, I hope."

Harumi wasn't listening, all her thoughts were screaming one thing, they wouldn't make it, half a minute had already passed, Lloyd was unconscious, she would lose him...

She wasn't even aware that she was crying.

"We need to go!" Cole shouted. "We'll still be torn apart by the blast from here!

"The other's aren't here yet!" Seliel called. "Wait, a few seconds."

"We won't be able to get away in time, it's us or-" But he never finished his sentence, because there was a change in the air, they all felt it.

"What the hell is that?" Seliel exclaimed.

"Slowing." Harumi gasped. "Everything's... slowing down, the machine's blast I mean, magically..."

"Jay." Cole sighed, and Seliel gasped.

"Kai, he's coming, carrying Zane and..." She sighed. "My mother."

The two figures raced towards the truck, Kai arriving first, hurling the unconscious nindroid into the boot and jumping in himself. Ennergise arrived a few seconds later, Lloyd in her arms. She placed his limp form in front of Harumi and scrambled in herself.

"Thank goodness we all..." She stopped the moment she laid eyes on Seliel, who gulped.

"Bloody hell." Ennergise gasped. "Is it... Samantha?"

"We don't have time for this." Seliel said abruptly, jumping out the back of the truck and hurrying round to the cabin where Cole sat at the wheel.

"Are we all here?" He called.

"No, Nya's missing!" Kai suddenly gasped. "We can't leave without her, we-"

"The bomb's been slowed enough Kai, Jay can't hold it forever-"

"No!" Kai shrieked. "Nya, Nya!" He gasped as Nya's figure appeared, running out of the building. She ran towards them at full tilt and leapt into the back of the truck, landing on top of her brother. Only then did Kai realise she was sobbing.

"Jay, he's..." She burst into fresh tears and cried into her brother's shoulder. Kai knew immediately that his brother wasn't going to make it.

"Cole, drive!" He shouted, holding Nya close to him. "Just, just GO!"

The truck leapt forwards and shot through the trees. Reality set in. Kai gasped at the shock of it. Jay would die, his brother ever since he had been fifteen. Jay, always smiling, some fresh new joke always up his sleeve. Jay, kissing his sister, Kai worried and angry, but secretly pleased there was a boy who would make her happy. Jay, fighting another foe, Jay criticising Cole's cooking, Jay starting a pillow fight, Jay crashing another vehicle, Jay making toast, Jay taking embarrassing pictures, Jay taking the piss out of them, Jay...

Kai felt tears running down his cheeks too. He clung to Nya as tightly as she was clinging to him.

"I think we'll make it!" Cole called from the front. Kai hoped they would make it through, and he wasn't talking about the explosion.

...

Jay gripped his chains. He had done all he could, he just hoped the others got away in time. Especially Nya, though he cared about all his brothers. Jay sighed and let his hold on the machine go.

"I'm sorry guys." He whispered. He remembered each of them, Kai fighting to protect those he loved, Zane outsmarting enemy after enemy, Lloyd playing his guitar, Harumi's face after she had discovered her parent's deaths, Cole making bacon sandwiches...

And Nya. Were there even words in the world that could describe how Jay felt about her.

They wouldn't want him to give up.

"No!" Jay screamed, and grabbed hold of the machine with his power once more. "I am NOT going to die here! No, not now, not EVER!" He gritted his teeth and held on with all his might. A tiny spark of lightning zapped out of his clenched fist and found itself running straight through the cuffs, into the core of the machine, waiting to powered...

...

"What the hell's that!" Ennergise gasped, pointing to the sky. Great clouds were appearing in the sky, shapes dancing through them. Shapes of humans, dragons and animals they had never seen before.

"The realms." Seliel groaned, looking out the window. "They're all coming together."

"Crap." Kai murmured, but he found he didn't care anymore. He watched as a strange light seemed to pour to Ninjago...

Then it was over. The shapes in the clouds vanished.

"Was that all?" Harumi asked.

The building exploded.


	17. Dragon

**Urgh, sooooo much homework, this chapter took forever to write! And I've experienced some problems with the site and actually getting onto my own writing space. But I'm going to be pretty busy for a while, so sorry for the snail pace on chapters. #New Story Update: Some time in the next few weeks I may post a story written by my crazy friend who has no way to post it on his own. So you can look out for that one. Honorary shoutout to MasterofCupcakes, jeez what's wrong with all your review functions? I like knowing what you guys think! Drive safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and when given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind. Enjoy! :)**

Though they had all known that the building was going to explode with Jay inside it, none of them had really accepted it, acknowledged it yet. So they sat in the truck, shocked as the building blew up in front of their eyes.

There was a ringing in Kai's ears, and he winced as he sat up a little and looked around. He realised that everyone else had covered their ears, but he had covered Nya's instead, as she had been too busy crying. He noticed she had slipped away from him in the few moments he had been stunned by the explosion.

"Kai!" Someone called, but it sounded quiet, like it was from very far away. Kai swore and pointed to his ears.

"I can't hear properly!" He shouted.

...

Harumi uncurled herself from the back of the truck and jumped to the ground. There was a faint ringing in her ears from the blast, but she could hear fine, thank goodness. Everyone else seemed to be coming out of the truck, and Harumi gathered herself for a moment. Then she turned to the explosion site.

It was a mess, everything was burnt, blackened. There was rubble everywhere and smoke was still drifting through the air. There was no chance that anyone could have survived. Harumi scanned the wreckage with desperate eyes, and saw something. Something odd.

"Nya?" Harumi called softly, and saw the other girl leaning against the side of the truck, crying. Harumi went towards her and extended her arm, and Nya threw herself onto Harumi, crying on her shoulder. Harumi was a little shocked, Nya had always seemed to strong, hardly effected by the battles of life, and now she seemed broken, sobbing like a child.

"Nya, I... look." Harumi pointed out to the wreckage.

"I don't want to!" Nya sobbed.

"No, look." Harumi turned Nya around and Nya gasped.

"What is... Kai!"

A loud swear word came out of the back of the truck. "I can't hear properly!" Kai yelled. Nya went over rand helped him down.

"Look, over there!" She told him. Kai turned and his eyes widened.

"What IS that?" He shouted. Nya winced.

"Not all of us are going deaf brother, tone it down a little." Harumi beckoned everyone else and the six people made their way towards the odd thing in the middle of the wreckage. It looked a little like an egg, round and white, only much bigger, and situated right where the machine would have been.

"What is that thing?" Cole asked to no one in particular. No one had the answer. Although the thing lay still, there was something about it that seemed... well there was no other word for it - alive.

"It's moving!" Seliel exclaimed, and she was right. The round thing seemed to be uncoiling a little, until part of it was revealed. Everyone's mouth fell open.

The thing was a dragon. A huge, white, glistening dragon with ginormous amber eyes and a large mouth filled with small, pointed teeth. The dragon looked at them, then uncurled itself a little further, coming forward a little way on one pair of it's many legs.

"Nya!" Cole suddenly gasped as the Master of Water stepped away from her comrades and towards the dragon. Nya didn't acknowledge Cole's call, but approached the dragon. The dragon stared at her with it's huge eyes.

"Hello." Nya whispered softly, holding her arm out. The dragon made no movement, then, it stepped forwards. Nya took a fearful step backwards, but the dragon came right up close to her, so they were practically nose to nose, even though it's whole head was taller than Nya.

"I wonder where it came from?" Harumi whispered to the others.

"I think I know!" Seliel exclaimed suddenly. "Earlier, what we saw in the clouds, that was the realms coming together, just for a moment. This guy must have slipped away from his home realm, the first realm perhaps, and found himself here!"

"Whoa!" Cole gasped, looking at Nya interacting with the dragon.

"Do you know where Jay is?" Nya whispered to the dragon, placing a hand between it's eyes. It looked at her curiously. "Please!" Nya whispered, another tear falling. "I need to know if he's alright!"

The dragon stared at her for another moment, then it withdrew from her hand and walked past her, uncoiling the rest of it's body. It was a long dragon. The machine came into view, wrapped in the dragon's body, presumably muffling the force of the blast. But finally, the dragon's tail fell away as it walked away past the ninja, Seliel and Ennergise, revealing a figure, lying face down and half covered by rubble.

"Jay!" Nya exclaimed, and came forwards. The figure was dressed in blue and had messy auburn hair, which had been slightly singed by the blast.

"It's him!" Nya screamed in joy. "It's Jay!" She ran forwards, grasping his shoulder to turn him over, and withdrew sharply, giving a brief gasp of pain.

"Nya!" Kai cried, running forwards.

"It's OK." Nya told him as everyone gathered around. "Just static shock." She gave a small laugh. "Electric shock. The machine must have strained his element, causing it to manifest in his body. She turned around to show that she was grinning and her eyes were glistening in happiness.

"You know what this means?"

"Not a clue." Kai told her. "Enlighten us."

"It means," Nya smiled even wider. "He's alive!"


	18. Kai's Secret

**What's up people? 'the sky!' I didn't think I'd be writing for a while, but I've managed to spread my homework out over a reasonable period of time. Yay! This chapter's basically one long couples meeting, but I couldn't resist! ;) Drive Safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and don't let your children or yourself play in building sites. Enjoy! :)**

"All systems are on and operational!" Cyrus Borg exclaimed delightedly. "He'll be fine." They turned and watched as Zane's blue eyes flickered open.

"Urgh, I... what happened?" He muttered.

"Hello Zane!" Cyrus Borg said brightly. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess." Zane sat up. "Where am I? What happened?"

"Your systems were shut down by the Lightning Phantom." Cyrus explained. "But don't worry, everything's taken care of." He told Zane, who gasped in worry as he remembered the situation he had left. "Kai and Cole brought you to me, and it took us quite a bit of work to get you back online again!"

"Thank you, wait, us?" Zane frowned.

"Yes." Cyrus smiled. He gestured to his right, and Zane looked. He gasped in delight.

PIXAL stood there, smiling too.

"PIXAL!" Zane exclaimed. "You, you're rebuilt!"

"It took a while." PIXAL said with a smile. "But Cyrus Borg was able to download my neural drive into a brand new body, identical to the one Master Chen dismantled." She came towards Zane. "I wanted this to be a surprise for when your mission was over."

"Well it is." Zane told her, standing up and coming over to her. "It's the best surprise I could ever wish for." The pair embraced and Cyrus Borg smiled. It was true, PIXAL and Zane were made for each other. If she wanted a more stable relationship, he would be happy to let her go. There would be other automated assistants. But no other PIXAL's.

...

Skylor gave a heavy sigh as she watched the latest of customers trickle in. Kai hadn't been seen for a week, which was unusual, he loved being here and she knew it. Not just because of the excellent quality noodles, but because of her. And Skylor missed him, not just because he was a good customer, but because she liked being around him. Skylor went into the kitchen where the chefs were busy preparing noodles, and joined them. Though she owned a very successful noodle franchise with three locations throughout the city, Skylor still cooked for customers occasionally. It helped take her mind off her problems.

"Excuse me Miss Chen?" A waiter called from the doorway ten minutes later.

"Yeah?" Skylor called, putting the finishing touches to a parsley and chicken noodle soup.

"There's a young man asking for you." Skylor was so startled she almost dropped her pepper shaker.

"I'll be there in a moment!" She said hastily, arranged the cucumber flowers on the dish and practically threw it onto the serving belt. She then checked her hair and face were fine, and hurried out of the kitchen.

Kai was sat at the noodle bar as always, and his weary face cracked into a smile when he saw her. "Skylor! Hey."

"Hey Kai. You haven't been here in a while. I was wondering if you were going to break your promise."

"Of course I wouldn't." Kai smiled, putting a hand over her's. "You know you're the only woman for me, Skylor. The only one I'd ever want to marry." That was their big secret, Kai had proposed the question to Skylor two weeks ago. She had accepted, and he was waiting for the right moment to break it to the other ninja.

"So, what's been going down?" Skylor asked, sitting down opposite her fiancée.

"A lot." Kai told her.

"Big secret mission I can't know about?"

"Big mission's over now, been over for a few days. I would have come straight away, but I've been in hospital."

"Why?" Skylor asked, suddenly concerned. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, minor injuries. It's been me, Jay and Lloyd, they're both still our cold. They'll be fine though. Me, I had to have a couple of expensive operations on these little beauties." He raised his hand to his hair at the side of his head, and showed Skylor his ears. They looked fine, though flesh covered hearing aids wrapped around them.

"The doctor couldn't fix everything though." Kai sighed. "My hearing'll never be what it used to be. Which isn't handy when you're a ninja."

Skylor gave a small laugh. "Damn, now you have an excuse not to do the chores I yell at you when we're married." Kai laughed too.

"Are you sure you're OK?" Skylor asked. Kai gave a nod.

"I'll live. Hey, when Jay and Lloyd get out of hospital, we're going to have a party, you know, barbecue, balloons, cake. You wanna come? It'll be a great time to tell everyone... the news."

"Sure." Skylor told him with a smile. "Send us a text when they're better. I'll be there."

"Thanks." Kai smiled. "I know I can always count on you."

...

"Lloyd?" He heard a voice from far away, struggled to reach it. Yes, there it was. He was here. Lloyd took a breath and opened his eyes.

The first face that swam into his vision wasn't what he expected. "Nya?"

"Oh thank goodness, you're up!" Nya exclaimed with a smile. "I've been with Jay the past few days, but I thought I could take a break for half an hour or so to watch you while Harumi went to get coffee."

"Jay, Harumi... Nya, what the hell's going on?"

"It's over." Nya told him. "The Masters of the Realms were all rounded up and imprisoned. Seliel went to jail too, but I think Cole's going to visit this afternoon."

"Seliel, what happened?"

"Oh yeah, you don't know!" Nya exclaimed. "Seliel's the Lightning Phantom."

"WHAT?!"

"Calm down, we took care of it." Lloyd gave a long sigh. He had questions for sure, but not right now. He had just woken up without remembering why he was unconscious, and his head was pounding.

"My bloody head." He murmured.

"Yeah, that was some powerful sedative Harumi used.

"Sedative?"

"Oh yeah, it was on the bandages. Lloyd," Nya leaned closer a little. "Don't be mad at her. She was only trying to help."

"To be honest Nya, I haven't got a clue what happened. How long have I been out?"

"A couple of days." Nya told him. "Just, Harumi seems upset, she'll be on her way back now. Don't get mad at her."

"OK, whatever." Lloyd sat back as Harumi entered the room.

"Hey Nya, I got your-" She gasped as she saw Lloyd was awake.

"I better get back to Jay" Nya told them. "Leave you two alone." She grinned and left. Harumi stood by the door, holding the two cups of coffee, staring awkwardly at Lloyd.

"I could kill for one of those coffees." Lloyd told her eventually, but Harumi dropped the cups on the floor and rushed to hug him.

"I was so scared you weren't going to make it!" She gasped, hugging him tightly. Lloyd was surprised, but returned the hug and Harumi drew back, looking reproachful.

"I know what you did with those bandages." Lloyd told her. Harumi looked worried, but Lloyd placed a hand on her arm. "Thank you. I wouldn't have made it otherwise. I know I lost a lot of blood and it seriously hurt like hell."

"So, it's alright then?" Harumi asked nervously. Lloyd nodded.

"Of course. You did what you thought was right." He said. "And, I'm grateful."

"I just wanted you to be safe." Harumi whispered. "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."

"Me neither." Lloyd grinned, going a little red. Harumi was going red as well and, before either of them knew it, Lloyd had leaned up to her and she had leaned downwards to meet his lips. Their lips were brushing against each other's as both experienced their first kiss.


	19. The Sleepers Prank )

**Bonjour people! Yeah, I'm running out of interesting ways to greet your guys. I'm sad to say we're almost at the end of our story, just a couple/few more chapters to go! :( It's been quite a ride. Honorary shoutout to good old MasterofCupcakes. Drive safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and make sure there's actually snow when you go skiing. Enjoy! :)**

Nya entered Jay's hospital once more to the familiar sight of her boyfriend lying unconscious in his bed, the machine beeping by his side. She sighed and sat down. It had been the same, three days of constant worry. True, Lloyd had been in a similar state, but he hadn't needed life support and had just been unconscious. But Jay... Though he had been alive when they found him, the doctors had warned her that Jay had a slim chance of survival.

Of course that was three days ago. A lot could have happened since then.

"Come on Jay!" Nya whispered anxiously, holding his hand. "Wake up, please. I need you! Lloyd managed it, why can't you?" Nya had said many similar things over the course of the past few days, and didn't expect anything different. To her total and utter shock, Jay grinned and his left eye popped open.

"Because I'm a lazy bastard and Lloyd isn't?" He said with a grin.

"Jay!" Nya screamed, clapping a hand to her mouth. "What... how long have you been awake?!"

"Oh two days, very nice, listening to all your confessions; 'oh Jay, you are the love of my life, what would I do if you died?' Oh Jay, OWCH!" He exclaimed as Nya gave him a gentle punch on the shoulder. "I'm just kidding, it's been like, five minutes."

"You're terrible!" Nya tried to cross, but she was smiling too much. "I'm so glad you're OK!"

"Me too." Jay smiled, holding her hand. "How did I survive though? The last thing I remember is being cuffed to that machine, doing my best to hold the explosion."

"You did a great job." Nya told him. "Thanks to you, we all survived. The realms did come together for a moment, and that caused a few creatures to cross over into Ninjago, me Cole and Harumi have been solving those problems. But it's lucky it happened, because this huge dragon saved you!"

"Whoa!" Jay gasped. "What did you do with it?"

"Oh we're keeping it." Nya grinned. "It's back at the temple now, I think Cole and Kai are looking after it."

"Great. I've got to meet it and thank it. Looks like my burnt toast will come in handy after all." They both laughed.

"When can I come home?" Jay asked.

"I'll check." Nya told him. "Hopefully soon, Lloyd and Kai are OK now, so we're going to have a party when you get back."

"Sounds good." Jay told her. "But listen, have you heard from, you know, my parents?"

"Which ones?"

"Cliff and Ennergise. Is she... OK?"

"Yeah, your mother's fine. She was a prisoner, and Seliel used him as blackmail for your father."

"I know." Jay sighed. "Have they been in here."

"No." Nya told him sadly. "I think they blame themselves, and they've both been through a terrible ordeal. They're at the mansion together, working things out."

"Well, when they have, I think me and my sister will have to have a little 'family bonding'!" Jay said sarcastically. "How's Cole over the whole Seliel thing?"

"He's OK." Nya said. "I think he's going to slip off the visit her in prison sometime."

"Good. I hope he'll be alright."

"You're not going to play the 'overprotective brother' are you?" Nya asked with a smirk. Jay shook his head.

"Hell no! After what I went through with Kai? And besides, she's older than me. And if Cole has any sense, he'll stay away from her."

...

Cole knew is he had any sense, he'd stay away from Seliel. But the past few days he had missed her, and wanted to give Jay's sister a chance. He had left Kai with the dragon, and he had disappeared, so Cole had decided to leave the creature be for a while and slip down to Kryptarium Prison.

"Seliel?" The girl looked up and gasped.

"Cole? What are you doing here?" She was definitely changed. The split in her eyebrow was ever visible, and the dye had washed out of her hair, leaving it auburn, the same as Jay's. She resembled her father more than her mother, but there was a slight touch of Jay in her, brought out by her hair. She wore the standard prison uniform and there seemed to be other changes about her. Such as the lack of happiness or confidence.

"How many days did they give you?" Cole asked, sitting down opposite Seliel. She frowned curiously.

"Four months. Cole, why are you here? I betrayed you, hurt your teammates, almost killed my own brother!"

"You're my girlfriend, aren't you?" Cole managed a weak smile. "I do care about you, Seliel. If I can forgive Jay about the whole 'Nya' thing and Lloyd for unleashing the serpentine, I can forgive you for what you did."

Seliel smiled, then ducked her head, embarrassed. "What about the others? What about Jay?"

"He's still unconscious in hospital." Cole told her. "But I think he'll be fine. And the others, I'll turn them around."

"Jay said something, when we were alone together." Seliel told him. "He said that he'd have shared his power if we'd grown up normally. Who says that? After all I did!"

"Jay's a genuine nice guy." Cole said. "Of course he'd forgive you, and it's not just because you're related."

"You're a nice guy too." Seliel told him. "But me, perhaps not."

"Not when you're doing the whole villain thing." Cole said. "But underneath, you're a normal person with your own ups and downs. When I first met you, you were putting flowers on the graves of random people whom you had no connection to. If that's not kind, I don't know what is."

"I, I guess." Seliel sighed. "But the real reason was that I didn't want anyone to seem abandoned, because I know that feeling. I've felt it for years."

"My mother wasn't abandoned." Cole said stiffly. Seliel scoffed.

"Yeah, you visit her once a year!" Cole stood up and angrily turned his back, heading swiftly towards the door, his eyes feeling wet.

"Cole, no wait, I'm sorry!" Cole stopped and stayed there, eyes shut. Seliel came over to him.

"I shouldn't have said that. It's just, I don't have much experience with relationships. I've never had friends."

Cole took a deep breath and blinked his tears away. Then he turned to Seliel with a small smile.

"No, I shouldn't be so touchy about my mother. She died thirteen years ago. She's gone. That's all there is to it. And," He came a little closer to Seliel. "I would say you have a friend now, but you don't. You have a boyfriend who will defend you no matter what." Seliel smiled, and came closer to Cole. The two kissed, then drew back, still smiling.

"I brought you some hair dye." Cole reached into his pocket and brought out the bottle. "If you want to fix your hair." He held it out towards her. Seliel shook her head.

"No, I think I'm going to let my true colours show from now on." She smiled at him. "Call me Samantha."


	20. Family Reuinion (sort of)

**Holy cow, twenty chapters! Yeah, I don't have much left to say at this point. Honorary shoutout to Loki God of Evil. Drive safe, hang your coat up, tuck your kids into bed and never lose hope. Enjoy :)**

Jay sat in the living room of the temple of Airjitzu, waiting. Because of the complicated situation his fractured family found themselves in, he had decided to call everyone to meet, to smoothen things out. Jay had been recently released from the hospital, still weak and finding it hard to walk, but nevertheless, OK. Seliel (or Samantha, as she had decided to be called) sat on the sofa by his side. Cole had negotiated her a day out of prison, including the party later. He had made it very clear to the other ninja that Samantha was to be trusted, and they had accepted his word. Jay hadn't been surprised by Cole's actions, but had decided to support him, not just for Cole's sake, but for his sister's.

"I'm nervous." Samantha muttered. Jay hadn't been listening.

"Huh? What?"

"I said I'm nervous." Samantha wasn't looking at him, she was looking at the clock, ticking away, counting down. "I did horrible things to our parents, they'll hate me."

"I don't hate you." Jay reassured her.

"I did worse to them than to you." Samantha sighed.

"They're your parents. They'll get over it." Jay told her, as the door opened. It was Ed and Edna, whom Jay had invited as well, after explaining the situation.

"Hey, mum, dad." Jay smiled, before wondering what the hell he was going to call each set of parents without hurting anyone's feelings.

"Oh Jay, you're getting so tall!" Edna exclaimed, before rushing forwards to hug her son.

Samantha gave a little laugh as she watched her brother being squashed by the woman whom had raised him.

"Mum!" Jay exclaimed, his words slightly muffled.

"Now Edna, let the boy be. He's an adult now!" Ed reminded his wife. Edna drew back, looking reproachful.

"Yes Ed, but I can't help it. After everything that's happened." Jay noticed tears in her eyes as the door opened again.

It was Ennergise and Cliff.

"Sorry we're late Jay." Cliff said. "We-" He noticed Ed and Edna and stopped.

"Mum dad," Jay began before wondering who he was talking to. "I mean, Cliff and Ennergise, this is Ed and Edna, my adoptive parents." He wondered if he should call his adoptive parents by their first names, but that just felt weird. "Mum and dad, this is Cliff and Ennergise, my real parents."

"Lovely to meet you." Edna murmured, as the four adults shook hands.

"And you." Cliff smiled. "Thank you for taking care of our son all these years. You did a fine job."

"Well, we did our best." Ed smiled as Edna took her seat.

"And who's this Jay?" Edna asked, gesturing to Samantha, who had been trying to hide in plain sight throughout the whole encounter.

"This is my sister, Samantha." Jay told them. "Yeah, surprised me too." He said as he saw Ed and Edna's shocked expressions. Samantha looked at the ground with barely a nod of hello.

"Samantha." Cliff said, the one word, his eyes boring into his daughter. She did not look up. "I see you changed your hair back." He said after a while. Samantha gave a nod, not trusting herself to speak. Cliff looked at Ennergise. She carried on staring at her daughter with wide eyes. Then, without warning, she ran forwards and wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"I'm so glad you're SAFE and back and, oh everything!" She clung tightly to Samantha. Samantha sat frozen on the spot, trying to avoid everyone's eye. Then everntually, she moved and gave her mother a small pat on the back.

"Ennergise!" Cliff muttered, trying to be only heard by his wife, but failing. "May I remind you that this is the girl who held you captive for twenty years?!"

Ennergise turned to Cliff, frowning. "May I remind you this is your daughter, whom we both shunned in our own way, bringing that torment on ourselves?"

Jay leaned towards Ed and Edna, who were listening and frowning. "It's kind of a long story." He murmured.

"Oh, I can see that son." Ed muttered back. Jay hoped his adoptive parents weren't going to judge his real family, but there was a lot to judge. He leaned towards Samantha, who seemed to be trying to sink into the sofa to disappear.

"Maybe this was a bad idea." He muttered. She shook her head.

"I deserve punishment." She sighed. "And if this is the form it takes, I'm ready for it."

"I had to leave you in the hope that you would look after our children!" Ennergise snapped. "And I get one being raised by strangers, no offense." She said quickly to Ed and Edna. "And one suffering neglect in the cause of criminal activity!"

"OK, OK!" Jay wanted to stand up to break up the argument, but he knew his legs were still too weak for that. "I get it, you're mad at each other and dad's mad at Samantha. Just, leave it out!"

"Of course Jayden." Ennergise sighed, and the pair sat down.

"I brought you here because we need to learn to get on as a family." Jay told his four parents and sister. "My real parents and sister. All of my parents. I don't want any fights."

"That's our ninja." Edna sighed. Then she quickly turned to Ennergise and Cliff. "All of our ninja." Jay blushed a little.

"Mum, dad." Samantha said quietly. "I want you to know that I'm sorry fro what I did. I don't see why the hell mum forgives me, but I don't blame dad."

"That's my sister!" Jay declared, and he put an arm around the girl who had given him his lovely black eyes.

...

"OK, bye son!" Ed called from the driver's seat of his jalopy. "Thanks for having us!"

"Anytime!" Jay called back. "I'll come visit next Tuesday!" Now that he had two sets of parents, every moment with Ed and Edna seemed more precious.

"Bring Nya, why don't you!" Edna called. "I just KNEW you two would get it on together!"

"MUM!" Jay cried, painfully aware that he was leaning on his sister for support. She laughed.

"Yeah, totally getting it on behind closed doors!" Samantha giggled.

"What has Cole told you?" Jay demanded. Samantha just laughed even more. Then she noticed Jay's face had turned serious.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Erm, I've gotta run an errand before the party." Jay told her. "Spin them some story, won't you?"

"Where are you going, Jay? You can hardly walk!"

"Who needs to walk," Jay said, stumbling forwards. "When you can fly?" He summoned his elemental dragon and it flew silently into the air. Samantha smiled.

"Good luck, Jayden."

 **Yeah, I don't think I spelt jalopy quite right, it's Ed and Edna's car.**


	21. Engagement

**YEAH, SNOOW DAYYY! This might sound a little bit weird to those living elsewhere, but over ten centimeters of snow here! I've spent a while outside, but now's writing time! Honorary shoutout back to you, MasterofCupcakes! Drive safe (through the snow), hang up your coat (so it can thaw out), tuck your kids into bed (make sure they're nice and toasty) and wrap up nice and warm! Enjoy :)**

The party was in full swing, and everyone was enjoying themselves, even Samantha. The barbecue had left everyone full up, and they had all taken turns feeding the dragon pieces of burnt toast, which Jay had made on purpose for once. "Good toaster." He had said, giving it a fond pat.

"What are you guys going to call it?" Skylor asked, stroking the dragon's soft scales. It purred softly.

"I don't know." Cole replied, as he used his Airjitzu to get on the dragon's back. "We sent every other realm crossing creature to a safe place, or their home realm, but I don't think anyone wants to give this one up!"

"Of course not!" Nya exclaimed, as the dragon used it's long tail to lift her into the air. She gave a whoop of delight. "It saved Jay's life!"

"SHE saved my life." Jay told her from his seat on the ground.

"How do you, oh, wait." Lloyd crouched down to Jay's angle and made a face. "Yep, she's a girl."

"What about Ruth?" Samantha offered from the ground. Cole shook his head.

"Nah, not very... dragony."

"I've got it." Harumi smiled. "How about Seliel?" Samantha gave a curious frown. "It's a nice name." Harumi said.

"Yes, I like that." Zane said with a smile.

"OK, are we all in agreement?" Lloyd called. There was a genuine nodding of heads. He turned to the dragon. "Welcome to the team, Seliel." The dragon gave a purr of delight at her new name. Lloyd approached to stoke her along with the others, but the dragon reached out and tripped him up, landing him on his back. Everyone laughed(including the dragon), except for Kai, who came hurrying over.

"You, OK?" He asked as Lloyd rolled over onto his front and hopped back onto his feet.

"Surprisingly, yes." He told Kai. "The doctors did some good work on my back, scarcely even twinges now."

"Of course, if you went to the hospital sooner, it would have been completely cured." Harumi reminded him with a mocking smile. Lloyd gave a shrug.

"Yeah, I've been a bit of an idiot in that category."

"You're my idiot." Harumi smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Oh, so you two are officially an item now?" Skylor teased, coming over to Kai. Lloyd gave a nod.

"Aww, poor Greenflame." Cole said, sliding down the dragon's back, and Jay burst out laughing. Nya came over and helped him to his feet.

"What's Greenflame?" Kai asked, but Cole and Jay only shook their heads and laughed harder.

...

Later that night, the ninja and their girlfriends were sat around, most of them drunk, except for Zane, PIXAL and Harumi. Lloyd had played a little guitar, before announcing that he was giving the instrument up, despite the fact that ninja never quit. They all sat on sofas now, talking and eating snacks.

"I am going to be sooo hung over tomorrow!" Samantha declared. "And they get us up at seven in the morning!"

"Oh, who remembers sunrise exercise?" Kai grinned, and there was a chorus of groans from the male ninja.

"To be fair, it was good training." Zane reminded his fellow teammates. "But, that is the one good thing about sensei being lost in time." He smiled and everyone laughed.

"OK, OK, we've got an announcement!" Kai said, standing up, and staggering slightly.

"What, that you're totally wasted?" Cole asked. Skylor stood up beside Kai.

"Us two are... getting married!" Skylor announced, and it all fell quiet for a moment. Then the noise erupted.

"Aww, congrats!" Nya exclaimed, giving her brother a hug. Everyone else came up with equal exclamations of delight.

"Dibs best man!" Lloyd called, a smile spread over his face.

"Well, naturally." Kai told him.

Nya was sat on the sofa, watching her brother's happiness with a smile on her face. She had seen him go through many women, and was glad he had found the right girl for him. The pair seemed perfect together.

"Nya?" Jay asked from her side. She turned.

"Uh-hu?"

"Shall we go to the roof?" Nya was a little surprised, but nodded, and helped Jay stand. The pair made their way up to the gentle slopes of the temple's roof. The stars shone bright above them as they lay, side my side, gazing up at the sky.

"So beautiful, don't you think?" Nya sighed.

"Just like you." Jay said with a grin, and Nya blushed.

"Nya." Jay looked up at the sky, sliding his hand into his girlfriend's. "From the first moment I met you, I thought, whoa, that girl has class! She'll never go for a loser like me!" Nya gave a little laugh.

"Well, proved you wrong, didn't I?"

"Even now, I still wonder what brought us together." Jay continued. "Which moment determined us, the pair of us being together. Was it when you told me that your favourite colour is blue? Or when you raised my heart rate, triggering my true potential? Or even when I discovered you had feelings for Cole?"

"Jay, I never felt for Cole the way I feel about you." Nya rolled to look at him. Jay turned to look at her. Then he slid his free hand into his pocket and brought out...

A ring.

A beautiful, silver ring, engraved with the waves of the sea, all the way round, and a tiny sapphire in the shape of a bird, studded into the top. It must have cost a fortune.

"Jay," Nya gasped.

"Our lives are made up of moments." Jay said, looking deep into Nya's eyes. "And I want to spend every one of them with you. Nya Smith, will you marry me?"

Nya's mouth fell open, her eyes fixed on the ring. Then they travelled to Jay's face and her face broke out into a smile.

"Of course I will!" She gasped, and pulled Jay towards her. She kissed him for a long time, in which Jay slipped the ring onto her finger.

"But, how much did that COST?" Nya gasped.

"Let's just say, you're worth it." Jay told her. Nya kissed him again.


	22. We'll always be friends

**I'm sad to say that our story is almost at it's end :( Just another piece of the story, then some kind of credits/sum-up chapter at the end. Yeah, it's been a great run, and I want to thank each and every one of you for reading, whether you reviewed, favourited and followed, or not. You're all great people and I hope you enjoyed the story! Drive safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and Enjoy :)**

Cole sat back on the picnic blanket and gave a happy sigh. Fourteen years had passed since Kai and Skylor had announced their engagement, and the ninja had definitely progressed since then. True, there had been ninja work still to carry out, but right now it was their day off. The sun shone above as the five families relaxed in it's rays. Most of the children were playing a game of football over my the edge of the forest clearing where they were spending the afternoon. There was his nine year old son Angus in goal for one team ( team awesome he believed it was called) and Jay and Nya's son, Fritz, in the goal for team super-cool. Cole couldn't help but smile every time he heard that name. No one knew how in the world Jay had managed to convince Nya to name their only son after his Starfarer hero.

"Simon, no powers!" Cole called out to his seven year old son, who had summoned a large wall of rock to protect team super-cool's goal. It turned out the tea Samantha's mother had used, was passed down through genetics, so the second born would inherit the element every time from now on. Cole was fine with that. At least Angus seemed to accept his little brother as the Master of Earth.

"Hey." Samantha smiled as she came over and flopped onto the blanket next to Cole. "Watching the game?"

"Yeah, one day they'll actually be great players." Cole said, and his wife gave a small laugh. He had proposed to Samantha two years before Angus had been born. Most of the ninja's children were around that age, Zane and PIXAL's adopted daughter, Mica, Lloyd and Harumi's triplets, Kai and Skylor's daughter, Amber. All three of their children were playing the game, Flint, Ray and Amber (twin masters of Fire), who were a year younger than their sister. Amber was easily the best player on the field, outshining all the boys.

"I hope so." Samantha said with a smile. She rubbed her belly where another foetus grew. Cole sighed in happiness. His life was perfect now, a wife, children, even a good job. And friends. He helped Samantha up with one hand and the pair of them headed over to the main picnic blanket, where the rest of the couples were sprawled. The children who weren't playing the game were near as well; Arabella and Mica (best friends) were having a conversation, Alex was crawling around, looking for insects and Achilles was sat by his mother's side, unwilling to enjoy himself outdoors. The two oldest children sat there as well, talking. They were the only teenagers, Jay and Nya's daughter Orah and Lloyd and Harumi's adopted son, Arran. Orah was the oldest, conceived on the same night her parents had gotten engaged, sly dogs, Cole thought.

"Ok kids." Lloyd said, making the triplets, teens and Mica, look up. "Go sit somewhere else for a while." The kids got up and went over to Cole and Samantha's blanket, except for Achilles, who looked nervously at his father.

"Go on Akkie." Lloyd smiled at his son. "Arran will look after you." Achilles sighed and wandered over to his siblings. Lloyd grinned at sat back next to Kai. "Kid free at last!" He exclaimed. Kai grinned back. The ninja, the princess, the robots and the Lightning Phantom lay watching their children.

"Amazing, the new generation when they're little." Skylor sighed. "When I was Amber's age, I was trapped on a remote island and forced to practise using my powers every day, even though I hadn't absorbed anyone's power yet."

"Yeah, and when I was Fritz's age, I built my first turbine engine and crashed it into my parent's trailer." He smiled sadly, as Edna had passed away five years ago.

"It's amazing how far we've all come in just a few years." Harumi sighed, as she watched Alex dig around in the soil. "We're married, raising kids, but still defending Ninjago."

"Yeah, from that very first fight with me, Zane, Jay and Cole." Kai still laughed at the memory. "To Lloyd being betrayed by Pythor, to Nya saving Stiix, to Harumi dismantling Mr. E for his attack on the palace!"

"It's been quite a ride!" Zane agreed.

"But we've come out on top of every enemy." Cole finished, smiling. "I wonder if they'll do the same." Everyone looked out to the children.

"I sure hope so." PIXAL said, and slipped her hand into Zane's, and all the couples somehow ended up doing the same. They looked out into the setting sun.

"Well, whatever happens, we'll always be friends."


	23. Blurb, sum up kind of thing

**And that's it, our story is over (sob, sob). It's been a great time for me, and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! Thank each and every one of you for your support, reviews, favourites and follows. Or just reading. Whatever you did. I'm not entirely sure what this chapter is for, but I'll do it anyway.**

 **Credits**

 **Characters (Main):**

 **Cole Brookestone**

 **Harumi (Princess)**

 **Jay Gordon/Walker**

 **Kai Smith**

 **Lloyd Garmadon**

 **Nya Smith** **Seliel/Samantha Gordon**

 **Zane Julien**

 **Other Characters:**

 **Skylor Chen, Seliel (dragon), PIXAL, Cyrus Borg, The Masters of the Realms, Ruth Brookestone, Cliff Gordon, Ennergise Gordon, Ed Walker, Edna Walker**

 **Reviewers:**

 **MasterofCupcakes**

 **Loki God of Evil**

 **imacrazyninjagofan**

 **Cookie-monsterzcookies**

 **Yean, I don't know why I'm listing all this. I'm just weird. And sentimental. This was my first story, something I've been planning since before I even discovered this website existed! And it actually got read and liked and reviewed! Yeah, I'm thanking you all again. For the very last time, Drive safe, hang up your coat, tuck your kids into bed and have a good life. I hope you all Enjoyed! :)**


End file.
